Sanctuaire
by Burning Phoenix X-7
Summary: Full of regret and anguish, there is not one sanctuary left but each other.
1. Chapter I: Esprit Cassé

**Disclaimer:**** Welcome everyone! This story was chosen as the favorite among the readers of Chronicles. I hope you enjoy reading.**

**Please note that since this story is now a full fanfiction, there will be some notable changes and extra written scenes that the drabble chapters in Chronicles did not disclose. So expect some new lines that have not been writing in the drabbles before.**

**Notice how the story was given a new title. One of the reasons is because the story does not revolve solely on Lightning therefore I needed a title that would suit the entirety of this story. It took a long time to come up with the perfect title, but hopefully it was good enough.**

**For those who are not sure, this is the Lonely Queen story you all wished to see more of! Yes my friends, Lonely Queen is now a story of its own and this is it!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

"_Why? Please just return with me!"_

"_Foolish boy! Stop dreaming; did you truly think I would ever bond myself with the likes of you?"_

"_Everything…we had everything."_

"_No. You have nothing. You never had a thing you stupid boy."_

"_We shared—"_

_Dark, maniacal laughter._

"_You believed me? What idiocy."_

"_Am I not enough?"_

"_You? You are nothing! Nothing but a tool! A boy with a mind that is easy to manipulate; just look at this palace! It is burning because of your weak mind! You were so easy to trick, so easy to manipulate. You are too weak to be king or even live. Now…it is time you died."_

"_No, please!"_

_-XIII-_

"_Help the people! Put out the fires! Quickly!"_

"_Sire! The prince is…!"_

"_He is capable of protecting himself! Help the people first!"_

"_The fire is spreading still Your Majesty!"_

"_Use whatever you can, just spot the blaze!"_

"_My king! Aid has arrived!"_

"_Let them in, and please hurry!"_

_The sound of clopping reached the king's ears as assistance came close to him in the form of the army of his country's closest ally. The king felt his heart slowed slightly into that of relief._

"_Majesty."_

"_Thank Etro. I am grateful for your assistance."_

"_I will offer aid to the best of my ability."_

_Fire continued to spread. The soldiers continued to bring the citizens to safer locations, away from the vicious blaze. The king's eyes moved as the powerful embers reflected itself in them._

"_Such…betrayal… How could I allow this to happen?"_

"_You can regret later. Your people are more important."_

"_Yes… Yes Your Highness. You speak the truth…"_

"_Speak to me; I will aid you in any way."_

"_My son…please… Help him. This will destroy him… Please… Help my son!"_

_-XIII-_

**Chapter I: Esprit Cassé**

It was no longer certain for how long he had traveled.

It felt like an eternity, a road with no end no matter how far he walked or how fast he carried himself through the journey. He needed to rest now; the sun was setting.  
A long time ago, which in truth had only been three years; he would have had a nice warm bed to lie down on and a father to speak to, friends to comfort him, and a home to return to. But now because of this everlasting sorrow in his heart, he was doomed to remain this way.

A beast.

He had been a man once; a man with a title that had been out by many. But he was a modest man, his title was not that important to him. He had been just a prince, many adored him and his father but to himself he was just a man, so was his father.  
But he met her one night; she had been lovely with blonde hair and purple eyes. He fell fast and hard and even his father approved of his choice when he announced to him his choice of wife.

But it had been all a lie.

She did not love him; she only did it to gain control of his kingdom, of his riches, of him. His heart had been shattered, but despite the betrayal, he could not bring himself to hate or forget her. Stella. Many hated and slandered her name for what she did to the Caelum royal family, to him.  
Noctis kept silent but every passing day he fell deeper into his depression. His friends and his father tried to help in any way, but nothing lifted his spirits.

One day, it happened. His heart became even more blackened with sadness that he all but lost his human body. Though he still had the ability to return into the shape of a man, he ruefully learned that he liked his new body and life in the wild. The life of a wolf.

He was no normal-sized wolf; he was the size of a large steed or chocobo. The sight of him was frightening, but he kept away from human settlements. When the goddess gave him the body of a beast, his father desperately tried to find a way to fix him but Noctis insisted that perhaps this was meant to be. After a few days, he left home, bidding his friends and father farewell and ran into the wild. For three years he lived like a true wolf and it surprisingly suited him just fine. Rarely did he ever return to his true form of a human.

However, there had been a drought in the past weeks.

He had not eaten or drank anything for a long time. He did not rest either due to his anxious search for food and water. Now he felt that he was losing his strength. He limped all the way to the nearest tree he could find in the dense, but hot forest.  
He was exhausted, he needed nourishment; he wanted to eat or drink anything, as long as he felt full in the belly. But the terrible weeks he had weakened him to the point that he could not hunt properly now.

He laid his tired body down against the tree and tried to rest. He was panting hard, and his body was now growing so thin from the lack of food and drinks. Perhaps during the night, when the day was cooler, he could hunt. Yes, that would be the ideal thing to do.

The black wolf closed his eyes and went into a daytime nap. He could feel the sun rising high somewhere in his sleep. Once the night air comes, he will awaken and begin his hunt for food, and water.

His keen ears were aware of the crows cawing above him, perhaps waiting until he is deceased before feasting on his flesh. Perhaps that would be the best thing; if he died now he would be free of burden, and be with _her_.

He must have slept for hours because he soon felt his shade grow cooler. But when he opened his eye to peek at the day, the sun was still high in the sky. Suddenly, his instincts went on high alert when he saw the shape of something standing above him.  
Instantly, he jumped up and his hackles rose. His eyes finally saw what had been standing above him; men. Hunters no doubt, by the looks of the clothes they wore and the weapons they carried. Noctis snarled warningly at the hunters.

The men took a step back but did not seem to try and retreat.

Regaining their composure, the hunters stepped forward again with their weapons raised and posed, intending to either kill him for his fur or to capture him and turn him into a working animal or show attraction. Either way, he was not going to get captured.  
Noctis growled aggressively and jumped over the hunters to make his escape. As expected, the men chased after him, intending not to lose their prize. Noctis wanted to fight back but he was too hungry and thirsty. Fighting would be a terrible mistake, no matter how large in size he was.

He would need to shake his pursuers off before he could slow himself down, but the hunters seemed determined to detain him.

One of the hunters grabbed an arrow from his quiver and took aim at the large black wolf. The beast kept running but he kept his arrow pointed. He counted the seconds the released the arrow. The arrow flew and hit the wolf's flank.  
Noctis howled in pain but despite the pain, he continued to run. The pain was burning into his flank but he could not stop now. Not yet. Once again, Stella's name came into his mind. One would think it was idiotic, to remember the name of the very 'witch' who betrayed him. But now he had no time to think of anything else as he tried escaping.

Noctis howled as he started slowing down and the hunters started gaining on his tail. Finally, his tired body could take no more and he tumbled down onto the ground, rolling over. He snarled at his own weakness. The men ran over to him, surrounding his weak form. Their weapons were ready to skin him alive.  
He closed his eyes and prepared for his inevitable doom. Whatever it was that the hunters were about to do to him, he was ready and he had no regrets. Not anymore. The hunters raised their arms with weapons in hand then brought them down for the kill.

_Clang! Slash!_

The sound of metal hitting metal and flesh was heard but the wolf felt nothing. Where was the pain? Where was the feeling of his flesh being torn open? Where was the searing agony of blades tearing through his carcass?  
Noctis opened his eyes and looked up at his captors. His eyes became wide with astonishment. The hunters were on the ground holding their wrists or sides in pain. Before them was a majestic pure black stallion with a snowy white mane and tail. The horse neighed as it reared wildly as if in warning. Noctis looked up at the figure that rode upon the back of the majestic creature.

Before the wolf could even see the rider, more humans on chocobos arrived, surrounding the hunters like they had surrounded the black wolf.

"You men are trespassing on these wild lands; have you forgotten it is prohibited to hunt the animals in these lands for nothing but a trophy?" One of the men said to the hunters sternly. The leader of the huntsmen glowered at the men on chocobos—Noctis now recognize them as royal soldiers. "It's none of your business. We hunt wherever and whatever we want!"  
The soldier turned to the rider on the black stallion. "Highness?" He asked. The stallion's rider lifted a hand and the soldier pulled his chocobo back to join his comrades. The stallion stepped forward then its rider jumped off. Noctis' wolf eyes stared at the sight of the stallion's master; a tall and strong-looking woman dressed in a dark cloak stood there, staring at the hunters blankly, not in the least bit intimidated by the burly men or the large horse-sized wolf.

"We won't take orders from some woman! Men like us don't have to obey common whores!" One of the hunters yelled arrogantly.

The soldier looked enraged. "How dare you, you peasant! Show respect; before you stands the queen of Bodhum! Queen Lightning Farron!"  
The woman—queen—held up her hand again in dismissal and the soldier backed down. The hunters spat bitterly. "Queen? Pfah! What shit!" The lead hunter got to his feet and stood over the cloaked queen. The woman only stared at him calmly, saying nothing still.

"If you are queen, show us what you can do!" In an instant all the hunters got up and attacked. Noctis tensed at the sight of the burly men charging at that one woman. However, he held still when the queen moved swiftly. She sidestepped every tackle then returned the gesture by kicking the men in the stomachs then hitting them between the shoulder blades. The black wolf could have sworn he had seen a bit of silver underneath the queen's cloak when she lifted an arm or leg. The hunters were all down, groaning or unconscious from the pain of the queen's attacks.

The woman nodded at her men and the soldiers moved in to take the hunters into custody. While two of the soldiers rode off with the hunters in tow, the queen turned to the huge black wolf.

Noctis held his breath as their eyes connected; he could feel an aura of power and authority coming from this woman. No, this _queen_. That aura was stronger than that of the hunters put together. Noctis snarled, warning the queen to keep away from him. Instead she took a step towards him, the action almost made him jump.

"Majesty, that is a wild animal; it is not safe. Please step back and let it run off!" One of the soldiers warned. The queen glanced at him and the man closed his mouth immediately. She returned her eyes back to the beast then held a hand out to him. Noctis finally saw it; the black glove that covered her hand and protecting her was a silver spiked armguard with gold knuckles.

"Come here."

The wolf was frozen again; the voice of the queen was deep and strong. It sounded sensual without meaning to; she was definitely a woman of power. She kept her hand held out to him but Noctis refused to move.  
The queen whistled lightly and her stallion moved towards her. She dug into one of the saddle bags then opened her hand to the wolf again. The beast's nostrils flared; there was meat in her hand. He tried to resist but his empty belly demanded food. Slowly, he limped over, moving carefully and not trusting the queen at all.

She seemed to notice then merely placed the meat down and moved back a few steps, pulling her stallion along.

The wolf reached over and took the meat in his jaws, gulping it down greedily. The taste of food was wonderful, like a godsend for the starved beast. The woman moved towards him again, with more caution this time. The wolf tensed and his body language changed to that of a stern warning. The queen's eyes moved to his flank, where the arrow dug itself into his flesh.  
She sidestepped the wolf until she was close to his flank. She beckoned to one of the soldiers. "Hold the wolf's jaw down while I take this arrow out." "Highness?" The soldier's eyes widened with horror. "Do as I say!" She ordered, ready to grab the arrow.

The man swallowed and got off his chocobo.

He moved closer to the wolf at a slow pace and the beast snarled at him. The queen sighed then tossed more meat at the wolf's front paws. The animal moved for it and that was when the soldier jumped and pressed himself down on the wolf's enormous jaws. Immediately the queen wrapped her hand around the arrow and pulled hard.  
Noctis snarled and growled at the pain and tried to throw the soldier off his muzzle. Suddenly, the agony was gone altogether.

He turned to look at his flank and saw nothing by a wound where it had been. He lifted his head and found the queen holding onto the arrow before she tossed it away. The soldier instantly jumped up and moved away from the wolf, running back to his chocobo as the queen walked closer to the wolf. Carefully, she placed a hand on his large muzzle in a comforting gesture. "You're fine now." She said gently and placed more meat down before him and walking back to her stallion. "Odin." She called and the black horse bent his head down, allowing his mistress to climb back on.

Noctis struggled to his feet as the queen and her soldiers rode off. However, his tired and battered body refused to obey and he fell to the ground once again.

"Highness?" The soldiers asked when their queen stopped her stallion and watched the wolf as it limped and fell back down onto the ground. With a sigh, she turned her horse around back to the wolf. The soldiers protested but the queen ignored them.  
The wolf watched at the woman came back to him, dismounted her horse, and then approached. She bent down to take a good look at him, observing ever detail her keen eyes could find.

"… You look like you're about to lose it any moment." She said to the wolf, looking at him right in the eyes.

Noctis growled but he felt too tired to actually threaten the human. The queen shook her head then touched his muzzle again. She was careful with her touch, almost gentle. The wolf was surprised by this sort of touch. Lately, the humans he met were cruel or scared of beasts like him, but this woman was neither scared nor did she seem cruel, so far. She spoke to him again.

"Need some help?"

"…?"

Noctis tilted his head at her, as if he had no idea what she was saying, but he did understand her. He just did not trust her. She was a stranger to him, and he was a beast no one dared approach. He backed off away from her but only ended up hitting the ground.  
The queen pat his muzzle again then looked at her soldiers. "Go ahead without me. I will be back soon." The men exchanged reluctant expressions but they obeyed their queen and rode off on their chocobos.

The wolf seemed surprised at the action but he kept his eyes on the queen before him. What was she planning?

The woman stroked his large muzzle and smiled a small smile that seemed almost impossible to see. He sniffed her hand and was surprised at how nice she smelled. Usually humans smelled of many things, but in general their scents were never pleasant. But this queen, this _woman_, smelled like a flower. A rose, he figured. He remembered the smell of a rose so well; his mother loved flowers and grew all kinds in her garden.

"Easy now." The woman said to him when he tensed all of a sudden.

The wolf whined quietly and tried to relax but he could not bring himself to trust this stranger, even if she did technically save his life. Still, the woman remained close to him. However, her stallion began snorting and huffing as if he did not like that his mistress was so close to such a wild carnivorous animal.

"Odin, hush." The woman said, holding a hand up to the stallion, gesturing for him to quiet down. The wolf watched in wonder as the horse obeyed the light command; however the steed still did not seem happy and was wary of the wolf. Or perhaps he was jealous that his master was paying attention to another animal other than him.

The wolf looked at the woman in front of him and stared into her eyes. They were blue and seemed almost electrical. But what stunned him the most was how sharp and mysterious they looked, as if nobody and nothing can look past a shield she had put up. He knew; he too had that kind of persona in him before he met…Stella.

The wolf whined pitifully and the queen raised an eyebrow.

"In pain?" She scanned his body, checking for anymore damages. Seeing only the arrow wound, she sighed and walked over to his flank again. Noctis watched her cautiously. She tore a piece of her cloak and then wrapped it around the wound. "That shouldn't be a problem anymore, for a while." She said, gently tapped an uninjured part of his flank.  
The wolf tilted his head again. What was this human doing? What was she planning? He noticed her hand reaching over to touch his side. He snapped his jaws at her and she instantly moved her hand away before she lost a finger or worse. But instead of leaving him, she pet his muzzle as if to reassure him she meant no harm then touched his side. She felt the bones that were starting to show through his body. She exhaled deeply and seemed to muse over something.

Returning to her stallion, she retrieved some rope from the saddle.

The wolf snarled and stood up, ignoring the pain in his flank. The woman spoke to him calmly as she moved closer with the rope in hand. "Don't worry, I just want to make sure nobody will panic; if they see you with a rope on they will keep calm enough." The wolf was still tense. "I don't know if you can understand me or not," she said, "but if they see you're with me they won't panic."  
The wolf was confused now; what did she mean? Make sure people won't panic? Where was she taking him?

As he was thinking, she carefully slipped the rope around his neck.

Noctis struggled but the queen held fast and tightly, making sure he did not break away. She had to calm him down before she could take him anywhere.  
"Calm down. I'm not going to harm you." The wolf snarled; he did not believe her, did not trust her. The queen grunted when he pulled back but she yanked back. "Stop struggling, you'll tighten the rope on your neck."  
Noctis could feel it hard to breath; as she said, the rope was digging into his neck. His struggles slowed until he finally stopped moving and stood still, but his body was on high alert. The queen nodded in approval then touched the wolf's muzzle once again. "See? Nothing's wrong. Just follow close behind me, okay?"

Gently, she pulled him over and tied the rope to the saddle, much to the stallion's dismay. Noctis stared in surprise. The queen mounted the horse then kicked him gently and the steed moved; walking at a pace the tired wolf could keep up with.

Noctis had no choice but to follow behind the queen and her mighty steed. The stallion's white mane and tail flew with the breeze as it blew past his face. The steed was a proud and mighty one and looked hard to tame; had the queen somehow gotten this stallion to calm himself before he became her steed?

Soon, the party arrived back in the queen's home. Bodhum.

Noctis had heard of this country; it was known for being close to the sea and that it had beautiful sunsets and fireworks. The black wolf looked around as the stallion trotted, pulling him along. The queen looked back at the wolf, making sure that he was still calm and not uncomfortable. People were staring at the creature their queen brought back home, but she ignored the stares and continued on to the palace.

* * *

Hooves clattered on smooth polished stone as Odin trotted back to the stables with his mistress riding on his back and her 'guest' right behind them and tied to the saddle.

Queen Lightning stopped her stallion and dismounted. She brought Odin back into his stall then untied the wolf from the saddle before she handed her horse to one of the stable boys.  
The boy stared at the large wolf the queen brought back with her; it was large, the size of Odin, and looked absolutely vicious.  
He watched as the queen walked away with the wolf in tow. He heard Odin snort unpleasantly; the horse was probably jealous that his mistress had taken interest in another animal instead of him for the first time.

Lightning led the wolf to the gardens then sighed as she turned to him.

"You can just stay here for now, until that wound of yours has healed and you've gotten your health back." She removed the rope from the beast's neck then nudged him forward. Noctis did not hesitate and swiftly ran away from the woman. He soon realized where he was; it was the royal gardens. He had heard that the garden of Bodum's royal family was so huge that it was like a forest.  
At least he would have a lot of room to run free and stretch his legs. But what about food? He will not allow himself to be fed like a dog, no matter how starved he was.

He looked over his shoulder and found the queen speaking to one of her guards. The man seemed surprised for some reason and the queen's expression remained the same.  
Noctis decided to think nothing of it as he found a nice spot to rest in for the night. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall among the soft grass of the large forest-like garden.

"My lady, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Do I look as if I am joking?" Lightning said, fixing the soldier with a stern glare. The immediately backed down. "Don't worry; he will only be here until his wound has healed and when he is in full health again. In the meantime, make sure nothing harms the wolf." She said.  
The solider seemed surprised. "But it is a wild animal my lady! It's dangerous to let it loose in the gardens. With it looking like a real forest, who knows when it will move on instinct and attack one of us." Lightning rolled her eyes at the man. "Then do not let anyone out into the gardens." The soldier tried to protest but decided against it and sighed in defeat. "Yes Highness."

Lightning nodded then dismissed him and entered her chambers.

Tiredly, she shrugged off her cloak, revealing her silver armor with a feathery sash attached around on the hip. She took off the shield that attached onto her left armguard and let it fall heavily onto the floor before she unbuckled her chest plate and let it join the shield.  
She sat down on her large bed with a sigh; she had no idea what had possessed her to take in the large wolf. The animal's eyes seemed intelligent, more so than any other animal she had encountered, including well-trained dogs. Something about the wolf pulled her in but she could not place a finger on it. For now, she decided the reason was because she felt bad for the starved and wounded animal. Until then, that would be the reason she took him in.

* * *

Morning came quickly for Noctis. He opened his eyes and was greeted by green grass and colorful flowers. He got up and stretched; he had dreamt of Stella last night and what could have been if she had never betrayed him and if he had never disposed of her. He did not want to kill her, but he had no choice—she gave him no choice.

Suddenly, memories of yesterday came flowing back to him. He rushed out of the bushes and past the trees, only to be greeted by the sight of a palace. So he really did get escorted to the palace garden by the queen. He looked at his flank and saw the makeshift bandages there. It had all been _real_.

But why did the queen of all people save him? Help him?

Suddenly, the delicious scent of a wild deer caught his attention. But he was in a garden, how could there be deer here? Still, the instincts of his hunger kicked in and he searched for his prey. Immediately his keen eyes found the deer. He stalked, chased, and then pounced. He howled in victory when he caught his quarry then dug in, relishing the taste of the meat and the feeling of filling up his stomach again for a long time in weeks.

The soldiers watched as the wolf captured its prey.

The queen had insisted that instead of feeding the wolf like a pet dog, he was to hunt like he would in the wild. For this purpose, she ordered that wild deer, and anything else wolves hunted were to be captured and set loose in the gardens for the wolf to hunt; it was also a way to help the beast kept its wild and hunting instincts intact for when he returned to the wild. So far, the queen's idea was turning out nicely and might actually help, as long as the wolf did not feast on anyone of them.

Queen Lightning watched the short hunt from the library window.

She had gone in to do her usual morning reading until she noticed the wolf had actually taken the live offering. She felt a small bit of relief knowing the animal would not starve or forget how to hunt. She watched as the wolf cleaned himself after the meal before he strolled around the gardens, sniffing the grass and perhaps just getting used to the new surroundings.  
Suddenly, his ear perked up and he looked up, catching a sight of her through the window. Lightning raised an eyebrow as the wolf stared at her; once again she could see some sort of human intelligence in the animal. Thinking nothing of it, she returned to her reading.

Noctis had felt someone was watching him so he looked upward only to find the queen had been looking down at him.

She seemed surprised that an animal like him would look back at her like he did but she seemed to dismiss this fact quickly and continued reading the book that was in her hands. Noctis could not remember the last time he read any good books.

All he remembered was seeing Stella in the library all the time. He had assumed she loved literature and reading like he did. But in truth, she had been digging; looking for books with information about his palace and about his family's bloodline, so she may find a weakness to him. But she did not need to; she made him weak by merely acting like she loved him only to betray him. He found it hard to hate her and many found it to be some sort of self-loathing obsession over the traitor princess he was going through.

Maybe he was obsessed with her. But how could he not be?

He looked up at the window and again and the queen was still there, reading. He wondered what she was reading; it was one of the things he missed doing as a human. Noctis turned away and trotted back into the dense part of the gardens to rest before he explored his temporary new residence.

* * *

"Lunch will be served in a minute, Highness." A redhead female servant said, smiling at her queen. Lightning nodded, not realizing that she had been sitting in the library and reading for hours now. "Thank you Vanille." "No problem!" Vanille said. She remained there for a moment until the young queen sighed and closed her book. "What?"

"You seemed so interested in that wolf. I heard from the guards that you saved him from hunters." Vanille said, clearly impressed with Lightning's kindness to animals. The strawberry-blonde stood up and placed the book she had been reading back on the shelf.  
"It won't do the balance of nature any good if he was saved only to be dead later in a few hours. Our interference of the hunt would have been for nothing if the wolf died in the wild after saving him a while ago."

"Or maybe you just like animals…?" Vanille suggested. "I mean, look at Odin. I still remember what you two went through before he became your noble steed and war horse!" Lightning stared at Vanille disbelievingly. "How do you know these things?" The redhead giggled and poked the queen's shoulder. "I have my ways, Queen Farron…"

Lightning shook her head and walked out of the library, with Vanille at her heels.

"Today's meal is freshly cooked salmon and steamed vegetables. The chef figured you wanted a break from the liver dishes." Vanille said as they entered the dining hall. Lightning only nodded and took her seat at the large table. "Has the wolf been given his lunch yet?" She asked a guard that was in the room. The man nodded. "They are releasing another deer into the garden as we speak." "Good." The queen said, nodding in approval.

"Still, I must ask Majesty… Why are you keeping the beast here?"

"We got him away from the hunters to keep him alive. What good would it be if he just died in the wild anyway?"

The guard understood the queen's logic. Perhaps. "I still do not think it is safe." "Then don't walk into the gardens if you are so worried." Lightning said bluntly. "Highness…" The guard mumbled apologetically.  
Lightning dismissed him just as lunch was served. She stared at the large portion of salmon on her plate and resisted the urge to pick at the food; she had not been feeling all that well today but she was certain it was nothing. Probably only anxiety or stress. Vanille noticed though. "Lightning? You okay?" "Fine, Vanille. Just tired; I didn't notice how long I had been reading."

The queen sighed and ate. The salmon tasted absolutely delicious. But for some reason, she did not feel like enjoying her meal completely. Nonetheless, she did her best to finish off what was on the table.

After lunch, she excused herself and heading for the gardens. She felt like taking another close look at the wolf that now resided there.  
As odd as it may sound, perhaps even _socializing_ with the animal would help with her anxiety; it was said that a bit of nature was good for the health. The guards and servants greeted her as she walked past. She acknowledged them with a nod as she strolled towards the gardens.

She easily spotted the wolf marking his territory on one of the trees.

Somehow, the scene seemed amusing that the wild beast would urinate on the plants here when he knew it was a human's garden.  
As if sensing her presence, the wolf turned around and spotted her. He tensed and made a dash into the brushes. Lightning blinked. What had happened? Shaking it off, she followed the trail in which wolf had taken. She wondered if he had somehow set up a den in the garden. But even if he did not, he was in no danger of other animals. After all, this forest was only a garden that was as big as the real thing.

Noctis settled under the tree where he had last slept.

He had marked some of the other trees as his territory in case some of the palace's residents decided to do some studying on him. He was starting to feel better now that he had eaten and slept well; he could not remember the last time he had a good meal. He was sure that he would soon be able to get back on his own feet and return to the wild.  
Suddenly, his keen ears heard the sound of rustling. He jumped up, hackles raised as he glared towards the direction of the sound. He paused when he saw who it was; Bodhum's queen stood there watching him. His ears lowered slightly as a sign of caution, and then he laid back down and attempted to ignore her.

Once in a while he glanced her way; she had not moved an inch since then and it surprised him that she did not react or recoil in fright when he snarled at her.

Lightning noticed the wolf's glances, and for some reason the action seemed human. But perhaps it was because he was a large anomaly of a wolf; yes maybe that was the case. She sat down on the grass and continued to watch the animal before her. She felt better already—she mentally noted to herself to thank whoever said that nature was good for one's health, because it was definitely true so far.  
The wolf finally lifted his head and stared at her right in the eyes. The beast had dark blue eyes, and that was very unusual for a wolf; their eyes were usually yellow. Still, it had nice eyes and it calmed her down. One would think that it was a dangerous move to let one's guard down because a beast had such wonderful eyes; it could be a trap to make prey or enemies throw caution to the wind. But Lightning doubted it. If it were true, the wolf should have pounced on her in a split second.

"… You don't do much, do you?" She said finally, not sure what made her want to talk to a _wolf_ of all things. The creature tilted his head at her curiously. Whether he was wondering why she was talking to him or he simply did not understand her, Lightning was not sure.  
"I don't even know why I bother talking to you. You're a wolf, it's not like you understand me." Lightning said, partly to herself.

Noctis could not help but feel slightly offended by the remark. He barked as if to let her know that he did indeed know what she was saying.  
The queen gave him a look. "Are you trying to say something?" He barked at her again. This time, she seemed impressed. "So you _do_ understand me. Funny, a while ago you were just playing dumb, weren't you?" Noctis' ears stood up straight; did she know he could understand her this whole time? She did not know how he really was, did she? No, of course not. Nobody did except for his friends and father.

"Not a talker, are you?"

_Bark_.

"Didn't think so. I'm one to talk…" Lightning said, not at all happy with her little moment of perhaps a slight hypocrisy. She was not much of a talker either. She did not enjoy company or socialize much except with Odin or Vanille, and Fang, one of her generals.  
The wolf sat up on his hunches and looked at her oddly. Smart wolf, Lightning thought. "I really don't know why I'm even talking to you. Understand me or not, this is not like me. Why do I even want to talk to anyone, let alone an animal I just met yesterday?"

The wolf barked again in response.

"Why were you by yourself when we found you? Usually wolves travel as a pack unless they are at a juvenile age when they leave their old pack to start their own. And judging by your age, you're not a juvenile." The queen said. Noctis was impressed with how much she knew about wildlife.  
"No pack?" She asked. The wolf made a low growl and shook his head from left to right. Lightning blinked, surprised that he answered her. "… No mate either?"

That question struck a nerve.

Noctis lowered his head as one person entered his mind. Stella. She _was_ his mate in life, his soulmate and fiancé until she… Noctis snarled to himself, forgetting the queen was watching him. "I apologize for bringing up bad memories. Just wondering." The wolf looked at her then whined in embarrassment; even though he was a wolf now, he was still a man underneath and a very shy one at that. Still, he was surprised that this woman of power was actually speaking to him as if he were a person and not as if he were a dog.

More curious than ever, he stood up then approached her slowly and cautiously. He moved his snout closer to her face until he noticed her reaching her hand out to him, understanding what he wanted to do. He lowered his head and sniffed her hand.  
His cold wet nose pressing against her palm felt odd to Lightning at first but it was nice, almost comforting. Perhaps animals had that kind of feel to them if one just learned to trust them.

The wolf could smell nothing but sincerity on the queen. He had been right when he had thought she smelled like a rose. It was a nice smell, but it also let him know she meant him no harm. It was a first though; usually anyone would run away from him, but this woman just remained in place and allowed him to test her first.  
He had no idea why she was being nice to him, even hospitable. He was an animal and yet she treated him like a person. He then thought back to how she treated her horse; he had not seen much yet but he sensed that the horse had been treated very well by this woman in front of him. One thing was off about her scent though. Aside from sincerity, he smelled something else. But he was not able to place a finger on it—metaphorically speaking, since he no longer hand fingers…

He stopped sniffing then looked at her again.

He tilted his head to the side then straightened up again. He wagged his tail a bit, a signal to let her know he would trust her for now.  
She seemed to understand this and stood up as well. She walked away from him and Noctis could not help but follow. "How do you like it here so far? It's not much, but you'll feel better soon enough." Lightning said. Noctis was somewhat touched she would concern herself with an animal's health. He had no idea Bodhum's queen was such an animal lover. In fact, he did not know much about Bodhum or its ruler.

All he knew from what he had heard from his father was Bodhum's queen was very young; she was a just and fair ruler and she had a younger sister who was soon to be wed to the prince of Sunleth, Prince Villiers.

Once Noctis and his father were to hold a meeting with the queen but Noctis had declined and met up with Stella instead of attending the meeting, therefore he had never met or seen Queen Farron before. It surprised him that she was before him now, and indeed she was young. Probably a few years younger than him, yet she seemed more wise and mature beyond her years. Now that he thought of it, Noctis never saw her mother or father, nor did he hear any of the guards or servants speak of them. It was odd.

He looked at the queen's tunic. She was not wearing a woman's tunic, instead it was a tunic thay men or knights usually wore. He had no idea the queen was such a tomboy, then again he should have guessed from the way she fought a group of hunters all at once without blinking.  
One thing was certain; Bodhum's queen was young and very much well-trained in the art of combat.

Noctis barked several times, speaking to her in the tongue of wolves. Of course she could not understand him, but she seemed to take a hint of what he wanted to say to her.  
"You're new here, aren't you wolf?" She said and the animal barked, glad she took the hint. Lightning continued walking with him alongside her. "This is Bodhum. We're just a quiet country, and it's by the sea if you can believe that. I was told many people from all over come here to enjoy our fireworks and sunsets. I admit I do enjoy that once in a while. But I have been busy too often."  
The wolf made a curious grunting sound. "You want to know about the royal family?" Lightning guessed. The black beast nodded his head. "I' don't know why an animal would want to know about the royal family…" Lightning seemed reluctant to tell him anything but she relented a bit. "All I can tell you is I am the only one left to look after this kingdom. I have a sister but…she married the prince of Sunleth." Queen Lightning seemed disdainful when she mentioned the last part.

Noctis was curious now; did something happen between the two princesses in the past? Did Queen Lightning hate her brother-in-law?

He kept making noises of curiosity; wanting to know more about the country he was in. It could help and since he now had the chance to meet the young mysterious queen face-to-face, it was a good opportunity.

The two of them spoke—in Noctis' case, barked—with each other for hours. The former prince could not remember the last time he socialized with other people outside of his palace. It was nice to meet a new acquaintance even though she had no idea who he really was. But he intended to keep it that way; he could not bear to change back into man after losing Stella and because she betrayed him. He loved her with all of him, he gave her _everything_ and that was where people saw the problem. He gave too much to the point she could now take advantage of him. But she did love him for a bit, didn't she? Noctis felt his doubts but he still could not let go.

He felt less burdened as a wolf but that did not mean his heart was no longer broken.

Sensing a switch in the wolf's mood, Lightning turned to him. "Maybe you should rest now. You seem to be out of it." The wolf whined pathetically then turned around to run off back to where he usually rested.  
Lightning watched as the wolf left without a second thought. Something seemed to be bothering the animal but she cannot tell what. Surprisingly, the wolf had been very good company. Finally remembering the time, Lightning headed back into the palace before the servants began fretting over nothing again. Dinner would be served soon and she had to make sure another deer was set loose in the garden for the wolf to find.

Meanwhile Noctis tried to relax his nerves. He felt so confused and frustrated; he kept thinking of those times he had with Stella years ago. He always wished she would forget her plots and just stays with him; he wished he could change her mind and make her truly love him. But she never did change her course. Did that mean she never loved him? And that he was never enough?  
He hated this feeling he wanted to be rid of it. It was these dark gloomy feelings of pain that he was given the form of a wolf in the first place. He no longer cared what he was, not after what happened.

* * *

Noctis could feel his health returning to him as a mere day passed by.

The queen was generous the whole time and even kept visiting him in the gardens. He noticed how she sometimes did not seem well but would perk up to her usual self whenever they talked. Or at least, she did. He merely barked. But all the same…

Despite the cold front he saw her put up in front of other people, she was kind and gentle towards him. Soon he realized she was being herself around him; being with an animal she felt sure that she can be herself. Noctis felt grateful she could trust him with her problems, though at times he felt bad that he could not share his with her.  
Still, it surprised him to learn how much burden the queen held inside her. To think she never spoke of these problems with anyone.

He was also amused at how much of a _gentleman_ the queen was; he had once witnessed a maid trip and falling, hurting her ankle, Lightning had excused herself from her conversation with him and went over to check on the maid before _carrying_ her like a knight would his lady. It was funny, at the same time, surprisingly. The queen was not the usual kind; she was a complete mystery.

Tonight, the queen had shocked both him and her servants even more; she brought Noctis _into_ the palace with her.

The guards and servants jumped when they saw the large wolf following their queen around the halls. Noctis on the other hand enjoyed the feeling of being in a palace once more. It was just like home.  
He was even allowed to eat at the table from a plate full of cooked food. The cooks protested, not wanting to have animal drool on their finest plates but Lightning silenced them with one look. She allowed him to dine with her on the condition that he still keeps his wild instincts intact. The fact that she was still concerned with him still remembering how to hunt touched him so he barked in agreement before the two of them dined together.

The last stop was in Lightning's room.

She went into the bathroom to bathe but Noctis was eager to see a bathtub again so he ended up slinking his way into the bathroom.  
He found Lightning sitting in the large tub. The wolf could smell the bath oils and see the red rose petals on the water. His tail wagged at the sight of such a nice bathroom; the queen obviously likes keeping her chambers maintained.

Lightning noticed him after a while and gave him a look. "What are you doing in here?" The black wolf walked over and dipped his nose into the warm water. "Hey!" Lightning pushed his muzzle away and the animal barked in protest. "What? You want a bath?" She raised an eyebrow at him. The thought made Noctis perk up. He liked baths; as a wolf he would jump into rivers to clean his fur off.  
He tried jumping into the tub, his playful animal side getting to him; he was acting like a dog that was ready for a swimming trip.

Lightning rolled her eyes and pushed him away again. In friendly retaliation, Noctis carefully picked up a rose petal from the water with his mouth and placed it on Lightning's head. The young queen blinked; did the wolf just _tease_ her? She splashed water onto his face and the wolf barked playfully and lowered his front with his backside and tail in the air.  
He was playing, Lightning realized. With a sigh, she moved aside and then without another thought, the black wolf jumped into the large tub.

Lightning turned her head away when he shook his fur.

Without much to do, she scrubbed the wolf down, as if giving a pet dog a bath. The gentle giant enjoyed it, liking how his fur was becoming clean once again in weeks, or even months.  
Lightning was surprised at how much the wolf was enjoying having a bath. He just stood still while she scrubbed him until he was all clean.

She got out of the tub first and could have sworn the wolf looked away when she got out.

Noctis averted his eyes from her body when he saw her getting out of the tub. He may be a wolf and even though he had animal instincts that prevented him from shying away from close contact like he had a while ago in the bath, he was still a man on the inside and he was still polite enough to look away. After he noticed her covered in a towel, he got out as well and shook himself dry.  
Lightning smirked when she noticed some rose petals were still on his fur.

She picked them off and the wolf barked thankfully.

When she dressed for bed, she allowed the wolf to decide whether he wanted to remain or go back into the garden. Lightning knew what the answer was when the wolf sat down on his haunches. She pets the top of his head then his muzzle before bidding him goodnight.  
Noctis watched her for a bit then approached the window, staring up at the moon. He had stopped having nightmares of that day since then. He assumed it was due to the queen's friendship. She had been nice to him despite thinking he was just a mere wolf. But nonetheless, he was truly grateful. In away and to a little extent.

Still, despite how open she was with him even though she was so closed off to others, Noctis wondered if she ever felt lonely…

He shook his head from the thought. It should not matter to him after all; Bodhum's queen was of no importance to him. Not now and not ever. The only thing that mattered anymore was gone forever and Noctis intended to keep it with him despite the words of others. It may be selfish but he did not care. For once he wanted it to be about him _for once_. Everything revolved around everybody else! For once it should be about him! He felt pain was well! He deserved to have everything revolve around him just this once!

When the wolf lifted his head and nearly jumped when he saw Queen Lightning's eyes staring right at him. "You contemplate a little too loudly." She said, her expression looking neither annoyed nor tired. Noctis snorted and placed his paws over his eyes, trying to shut everything thing else out.

Lightning sat up and got out off her bed before she approached the large lupine and stroked the fur of his back. The large wolf sat up on his haunches and stared at the queen firmly. Rather than flinch away, the monarch held the scruff of the wolf's neck and guided him out of the room and down the hall. Noctis looked at her with puzzlement written in his beastly face; what was she up to?

The queen led him to the kitchen and had him sit still for a moment.

Noctis cocked his head curiously then noticed Lightning taking out several pieces of cold meat. She tossed the pieces at him and he gladly wolfed them down. The young queen sighed and sat herself on the floor, beside the wolf while he ate. The animal seemed to feel better now and she was glad for that. It only took several pieces of food to make them feel better at times.  
Once the beast was done, he nudged Lightning's head with his nose a little roughly, as if demanding to know why she was being this courteous to him, and what was in it for her in return.

Lightning was not sure how but she felt she understood him. He may be a wild animal, but his eyes possessed an intelligence that no normal animal could ever have. And his size was physical proof that he was most likely not an ordinary wolf; perhaps he was something far beyond that? Who knew?

Lightning gently tapped the animal's muzzle and he moved away slightly.

"You are more than you seem." Lightning commented, looking directly into the wolf's eyes knowingly. Noctis tensed at her words and snarled at her. The queen was unbothered with the reaction. "I won't pry if that is what you wish. Animal or not, you seem much more intelligent than most." The queen chuckled a bit, "If I said this in front of Odin I am sure he would not like it."  
Noctis thought for a moment; indeed, the queen's noble steed seemed rather intelligent, more than other mounts at least. However, so far Odin was the only horse Noctis ever encountered.

Horses were extremely rare, as chocobos were the only well known steeds.

How Queen Farron managed to find and tame a horse was beyond him. But perhaps it might have been sheer luck; horses were _rare_, but not non-existent. Though people preferred chocobos since they were easy to find and more abundant than horses. To have such a steed would be an amazing feat and Queen Farron seemed to have achieved it.

"Do you wish to return to the garden?" Lightning asked finally. The wolf stared at her then got up and left her to head back to the gardens.

Lightning left as well and after making sure the large wolf did indeed manage to find his way back, she headed to her chambers to rest for the night. The moon shone on her as she lay on her bed, eyes open and mind wandering. "Odd…" She sat up and rubbed her forehead. Rest was simply not coming to her. The queen turned her line of vision to her window where the moon shone its ethereal light; it was almost as if the gods were showering the world in their glow.

"Sleep in peace, Divine Etro…"

* * *

**I will end it here for now.**

**Once again I want to thank all of those who have read Chronicles up to its latest chapter so far. You have inspired me and gave me the drive to keep writing. Now all of you get to have Lonely Queen arc as a new story. However, I gave it this new title because Lonely Queen as I mentioned before, is not a suiting title to the full version of this story.**

**Also please remember that since this is now a full story there will be new and extended scenes and moments that will happen and appear in the chapters. Because Chronicles is a drabbles fanfiction I could not just show everything there. So now that the LQ ac is a story of its own everything can be shown here.**

**I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of this new story and hope you would like to see more of it. I am still willing to answer any questions if you are confused about something. But as always have fun reading and I will see you all again soon.**

**One more thing before I take off, I want you guess to think for yourself and try to guess why this title is called "Sanctuaire". There is a reason I titled it this, and I wanted you all to know as well by trying to understand it yourself. Have fun guessing!**

**Until then…**


	2. Chapter II: Compagnon

**Disclaimer: ****Thank you for taking the time to read Sanctuaire. I am happy I managed to put this chapter up today. Enjoy yourself and happy reading as always.**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter II: Compagnon**

The large green forest-like surroundings of the royal gardens made Noctis Lucis Caelum feel right at home. As a man who had turned into a large horse-sized wolf out of despair from betrayal of a former lover, the wolf loved being out here in the wild, even if it were actually a gigantic garden of Bodhum's young queen. He sniffed around, nose to the ground, wondering what else he may be able to find in this lush forest-like garden.

Already it had been five days since his arrival at Bodhum. His health was returning but all too slowly. It would take more time for him to recover than he had expected.

During his stay, Noctis has taken a liking to exploring the wide and vast gardens of Bodhum's palace and it was nearly as large as a real forest. It soothes his soul just watching the many colors of the vegetation he came across; every new kind of flower or plant was just a fascinating discovery to him. Perhaps it was his wolf form's animal instinct appreciating the wonders of nature.

So far his new discoveries of the day were an array of flowers, most he remembered from his mother's garden when he was a young boy. His mother loved flowers; she would have adored Queen Farron's garden.

Noctis looked up at the sky and felt his tail wag excitedly. He turned around and ran to the edge of the garden where the walls of the palace awaited him.  
The black wolf sat down below a high window and stared. In a few moments, the queen of Bodhum sat at the window sill, reading a book.

This had become a new routine for Noctis, and even Queen Farron herself; day after day Noctis would sit and watch Lightning read a book, waiting for her to notice him. When she did, she would go down and greet him then take him with her somewhere.  
Her steed Odin still seemed to envy the black wolf's presence but he bared it for the sake of his queen. Noctis had no idea such a young and talented queen was so in tune with the world around her; it was good to know ones of her status can care about nature as he did when he turned into the wolf.

As he expected, Lightning glanced out of the window and took note of him. Noctis barked invitingly and the queen closed her book before disappearing from sight.  
The wolf waiting for a moment until the young queen appeared in the gardens and greeted him. "You seem happy today." She commented while stroking the fur on his neck. Noctis wagged his tail and the queen understood. "Come on then." She led him inside the palace and once again the servants jumped up in fright. Noctis felt like a little boy again, playing pranks on the servants and frightening them off, even it were unintentionally.  
The black wolf followed Lightning to the library eagerly and watched as the queen picked up the book he presumed she had abandoned a minute ago when she went to greet him.  
Lightning returned herself to the window sill and the wolf trotted over and sat beside the sill, his form towering over her slightly as he read over her shoulder.

Noctis smiled on the inside when his eyes, for the first time in years, saw the sight of pages and words written on them. How he missed reading books during his free time when he was still living as a prince in his kingdom of Nifleheim.  
Suddenly, Lightning turned to the next page. Noctis huffed then carefully bit the tip of the page she was on and turned it back to the previous page. Lightning blinked then looked at the wolf. "What? Are you reading?" He barked and stared at the page.

The queen shook her head and waited for him to finish.

The wolf made a satisfied sound. "Finished?" Lightning asked, her eyebrow raised. The black wolf barked and she turned to the next page. Noctis read along with her; his large body shook with excitement as he read the story.  
Lightning glanced at the wolf to see he was done reading before she turned the page. The wolf panted happily and she took it as a sign to move to the next part. It was strange, the wolf was actually reading with her. Since when did wolves enjoy books or even understand them; large and abnormal or not.

"… Since when did wolves read?" She could not help but ask the beast himself. In response, the wolf barked at her as if teasing her for doubting the mentality of animals.

For a couple of more hours, the pair just sat there, reading book after book. To Noctis it was good to gain knowledge and entertainment from reading once again. He wondered what else he would be allowed to do in the kingdom of Bodhum with the queen.  
Lightning closed the book she was reading and looked out of the window at the sky. It was nearly time for lunch. She turned to the wolf; he tilted his head a bit, wondering why she had stopped reading. She got up and placed the book back in its shelf. "It's almost time for lunch; you better go back to the gardens now." She said, leading him back outside.  
Noctis whined reluctantly and followed her back out into the garden he now resides in temporarily. Lightning ruffled the fur on his head before she returned inside to have her own lunch.

The black wolf sniffed the air and caught the whiff of deer.

His mouth watered as he tracked down the wild deer that the guards had released into the garden. The scent grew more tantalizing, signaling that the prey was near. Noctis could feel his stomach grumble with hunger as he carefully stalked his quarry.  
Sure enough, a full-grown buck stood there, grazing the sweet green grass of the royal gardens. He held still for a moment, allowing the buck into a false sense of security before he stalked forward, making sure to avoid making any unwanted sounds. Once the buck seemed to toss its caution to the wind, Noctis pounced.

The animal shrieked and ran, hoping to escape the jaws of the large predator.

Noctis quickened his pace and soon caught up with the buck. He snapped his jaws at its backside, scraping the buck's behind. The prey shrieked again and started panicking. Noctis growled and leapt onto it, crushing the buck under his weight and clamping his fangs down into its neck, ending the buck's life. He howled in victory then started to eat, loving the taste and feel of deer meat in his belly. He stared up at the sky and laid his body down on the grass, relaxing. His wounds were starting to get better, slowly but surely, and the animals the queen ordered to bring to the garden for him to hunt were helping him regain his strength.  
He never thought he would be able to find comfort in the human world again, thank Etro he was proven wrong, but in a way he also wished that he was correct.

* * *

"Highness?"

Lightning glanced up from the papers in front of her and noticed a guard standing at the doorway of her study? "What is it?" She asked patiently. The guard seemed reluctant to speak. "I…Majesty…there is…someone who wishes to speak with…you."  
Lightning raised an eyebrow at the guard's behavior. "Who is it?" The man rubbed the back of his neck. "Permission to speak freely, my Queen." Lightning nodded and he sighed. "I don't think you will be happy to see who it is, Majesty. But he would not leave and insists he speaks with you."

The young queen stood up from her desk. "I'll handle it then. Dismissed."

The soldier bowed and left the study. Lightning frowned; who was waiting for her? She arranged her papers before leaving the study and walked down the halls to see whoever it was. It had better be worth her time. She passed by several servants and asked them of the guest who insisted he speak to her. They frowned and shook their head, telling their queen how the man just rudely left the sitting room to wander the halls.  
Lightning groaned and headed for the gardens, hoping to clear her mind and perhaps this guest would show himself later in the sitting room where he was supposed to be.

As predicted, the green scenery calmed her nerves.

She worked nearly endlessly in her study; her healer kept advising her to get some rest but it was easier said than done with Lightning. It had become a habit for her to work tirelessly throughout the day since her sudden coronation at a young age.  
She pushed back those events to the back of her mind and sighed to herself, rubbing her temples to remove her stress. It did not help much.

As much as possible she avoided topics about her young life; it troubled her so. No matter how long it had been, her life before this was not something she wished to share with anyone. She was not like other children, not because she was born with blue blood but because she simply was not. While Serah spent her time playing as a young girl, Lightning read books and kept begging her father to teach her how to use a sword; something young refined princesses never do.  
Though her father was very reluctant at first he soon gave in and taught her all he knew about the art of combat. Lightning was a fast learner and soon she was training under Amodar, her father's most trusted soldier.

Lightning shook her head for allowing her mind to wander; it was unbecoming of her. She needed to be focused at all times and letting her mind wander was going to be a downfall of hers one day. Something she simply could not afford.

"Ah, there you are…" A voice said from behind her.

The young queen rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder. "Count Gligamesh. What a surprise…" Her tone was almost sarcastic. The count grinned and puffed his burly chest out proudly. "I see you remember me! Of course you would, after all I Count Gilgamesh, am a memorable man." Queen Farron's expression was a complete blank. "Yes… I am sure." She said drawled, clearly uninterested in this petty chitchat.

"Was there anything you wanted, Count?" She asked, hoping to be rid of him as soon as possible. Count Gilgamesh chuckled. "Yes, there is actually. I came here to woo you, my Queen. I am here to ask for your hand." Lightning's expression remained the same. "… Anything else?"  
The count's expression stayed cheery. "That is about it! Just to let you know, I am a rather capable husband. I am sure both of us can find peace with each other…"

"I doubt that. Highly." Lightning said, crossing her arms. "If there is nothing else, then please leave. I am very busy at the moment and you caught me at a bad time. A very bad time."

Count Gilgamesh pouted childishly. "Come now! You have to acknowledge that such a great and rather handsome man as I wish to have your hand!" "I like having my hands attached to the rest of my body, thank you very much." Lightning said dully.  
The count frowned at her lack of response. "Why can't you see that I am the perfect match for you? I'm sure no other man out there can be a better husband than me! After all, I am a perfect swordsman as well as a count."

"Then _count_ your blessings that I do not throw you out myself." Queen Farron said.

Count Gilgamesh was appalled. "What? You would refuse the greatest count and swordsman in the world?" Once again, the young queen was not impressed by his pompous act. "If your brain were as big as your head and ego, then I might consider having a civilized conversation.  
The count's face as completely red. How could anyone refuse _him_? Count Gilgamesh?

The black wolf trotted past the trees and bushes, intending to spend some time with the colorful flowers that surrounded the palace. It would be nice to smell the heavenly scents of the different flowers once again; he had never had the chance to merely stop and sniff flowers before on his travels. His mind had always been heavy with other thoughts.

Noctis whined to himself and his ears lowered at the memory; he thought it had all been real, the love she had… His love for her had been real, so why had she not changed her mind? Why did she still intend on just betraying him after she saw he clearly loved her? Why did she have to leave him with no choice but to kill her in battle? Why didn't she learn to truly love him?  
He could not let go, he still couldn't. He continued walking over to where the flowers awaited but froze at the sound of a foreign voice. He trotted towards the source and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

A large bulky man stood a few paces away from Queen Farron. He was talking so loudly and rudely, even bragging about himself. Noctis looked at Queen Lightning and saw her bored and nonchalant expression; however he also noted a hint of exhaustion in her eyes. She looked like she would rather be anywhere than where she currently was.  
The man kept harassing her and the black wolf could take no more of such rudeness towards a queen. He trotted over to them and noticed how the big man did not notice his presence yet. Noctis bared his fangs in warning at the man's back.

"You should know I am a one of a kind, Queen Farron! With me as your husband, Bodhum would become even better than it was before! So I think it would be best if you actually agreed with me taking your hand in marriage." The big oaf was no giving up and Lightning was close to actually knocking the count out in order to silence this windbag.  
A snarl caught her attention and she focused on what was behind the count. She saw the black wolf snarling and glaring at Count Gilgamesh's back but she said nothing. The wolf's snarls grew louder and the count finally stopped talking.  
He turned around slowly only to come face to face with a gigantic black beast with white, razor-sharp fangs bore at him. At once, the man jumped back in fright and started shaking.

"Wh-what is this? A foul beast in the royal gardens?" He said loudly, attempting to look heroic and brave in front of the queen.

The wolf snorted at the pathetic display and took a step towards the man. Count Gilgamesh took a step back in response. The black wolf bared his fangs threateningly and his hackles rose, making him look much bigger than before.  
"Queen Farron…! Y-you never said anything about being under threat of a…monster!" The count attempted to be brave again and tried to reach for the sword attached to his hip, but his hand shook badly. Lightning crossed her arms. "You'll have to forgive my guest; he is still new here in Bodhum." She said while walking over to the black wolf and standing beside him calmly.

Noctis snarled and snapped his jaws. Count Gilgamesh whimpered and ran off out of the gardens, flailing his arms around like a madman.

Once the man was gone, Noctis turned his attention to the young queen and tilted his head. "Sorry. I had bad company arrive." She said, rubbing her temples tiredly.  
The wolf nudged at her free hand with his muzzle as if asking if she was feeling well. Lightning stroked his head. "It's nothing. I'm just tired; I have a lot of work to finish first before anything." She turned to leave then stopped. She looked at the wolf. "Thank you. For helping me with the count." She walked back into the palace.

Noctis sat on his haunches and thought of the man he scared away. Ah yes, Count Gilgamesh. He knew the man; he was a large muscled count who loved to boast about himself and tell stories of his many perilous travels, but in truth he is a nothing but a blowhard, a windbag, and a coward.  
Many times the count had visited the Caelum palace during dinner parties and brag of his new adventures, which of course never happened. Perhaps in his dreams.

To think Noctis would encounter the man here in Bodhum trying to court the queen.

Thinking back, he remembered during one of the dinners he had been invited to, Count Gilgamesh had boasted about wooing a queen for her hand in marriage and how she would one day give in to his charms. So, it was Queen Lightning he had been talking about?

Such a small world, Noctis had to admit. In fact, Queen Farron had been invited to that same dinner party that night but was unable to make it due to a small fever she caught while working endlessly during the evenings. However, she did send presents to the palace; a shining crystal sphere with sharp edges—it was said that it was a small statue of the fabled world of Cocoon that had been crystallized when it fell from its cradle in the sky. The other presents were sweet delicacies from Bodhum; Noctis had enjoyed them immensely, wondering how Bodhum was able to make such delicious dark chocolates and sweet delights.

His father, King Giovanni had commented on how noble and courteous the young queen was in sending them such gifts as compensation for not being able to attend their dinner.

At the time, Noctis cared about nothing except his time with Stella. But now as he sat here in the royal garden of Bodhum's queen, he came to realize that Lightning was indeed a rather noble person; hardworking and polite if she needed be. And also a bit intimidating at times.  
At the back of his mind, Noctis wondered if the queen had any of those sweets he had before in her palace. It would be nice if he could have a taste of them again. He hadn't had them in years now. Perhaps later during dinner hours… His tail wagged at the thought of consuming Bodhum's sweet delicacies.

* * *

That evening, Lightning came down into the gardens with two plates in her hands. Her eyes scanned the surroundings for the black wolf. She walked deeper into the garden until her eyes caught sight of a much darker shade and shape. She approached and placed the plate down beside it.

Noctis turned his head, surprised at Lightning's sudden appearance. He looked down at the plate and saw what appeared to be a liver dish. He looked at the queen and she nodded, understanding his silent question. He ate the liver in one gulp and licked his chops in satisfaction while Lightning started eating hers slowly while watching the sky.  
The wolf laid beside her and joined her in staring at the night sky. Lightning finished her dinner after several minutes then put her plate down on top of his before digging into her tunic's pocket. She fished something out and Noctis' nose caught a whiff of something sweet.

Lightning showed it to him. "Not sure if wolves like sweet things but…it's all I could find."

Noctis' eyes widened in delight at what she held; colorful sweet delights just like the ones he had years ago. The tough sugar-coated gelatins were a pleasant sight to him. His tail wagged and his large long tongue rolled out of the side of his mouth.  
The young queen seemed amused and placed a piece into his waiting mouth, on his tongue. Immediately he closed his jaws and enjoyed the taste of sweet sugar in on his tongue for the first time in years since he turned into a wild beast.

Lightning had a few pieces for herself and shared the other half with him.

They remained there for a while until the moon appeared from behind the clouds, shining on the both go them. Noctis felt like a little boy again, spending time with a new friend and camping outside. He missed feeling so human, but at the same time, he just could not forget or let go of what had happened. He was not sure he even wanted to let go.

He glanced at Lightning and noticed her leaning against the tree, her eyes closed. Noctis nudged her gently; she was asleep. He watched her for a moment before carefully placing his huge head on her lap and closing his eyes. It was nice to have a friend and companion by his side again; he missed Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus terribly. And he did not doubt they missed him as well.  
He planned on visiting his kingdom again one day, but for now he had to focus on recovering, and thanks to Lightning, he was sure he would make it in no time.

That would be for the best; the sooner he recovered the sooner he could leave Bodhum behind.

Noctis did not plan on staying anywhere with anyone, that was his life now. None of it mattered, nor did he care. He wanted to wander even if it meant it would be for all time, until the very end of time. There was nothing for him anyway, no reason to settle down.  
He certainly did not want to stay with Queen Farron for long. That, in his mind, was the worst idea. He preferred to continue his wanderings in the wild, away from human contact. Perhaps a visit to his father once in a while would be good but Noctis wanted nothing more than to continue his solitude.

* * *

"Majesty! You were not in your chambers or in your study the other night. We were worried." A servant said as Lightning approached him and Vanille; it was the crack of dawn.

Vanille moved towards the queen. "Is everything alright?" Lightning nodded and waved off their concern. The male servant bowed and returned to his early morning duties. However, Vanille stayed back and followed Lightning to her chambers.

The queen sighed and glanced at her handmaiden over her shoulder. "Something troubles you Vanille?" "Yes… Where were you? Everybody was worried but I did my best to assure them you were fine." Vanille said as she approached the queen and slipped off her soiled tunic.

Lightning stood still as Vanille stripped her of her clothing from the other night and wiped her arms. "Were you with the wolf?" The redhead asked finally when she presented Lightning with a clean tunic. The monarch took her clothes from Vanille's hand and dressed herself. "I suppose I have."  
"You seem so intrigued by the wolf. What do you plan to call him?" Vanille wondered. Her queen chuckled a bit. "I believe it is best that I do not give him a name. It will only make separation harder, or am I wrong?"

Vanille dusted Lightning's tunic to perfection. "Maybe. But it really is up to you, Highness."

The young queen tugged at her tunic's collar and turned to her younger friend. "Thank you Vanille. You may leave now." The redhead nodded and left the chambers but not before glancing at the queen. Once Lightning was in solitude, she sat herself down at her desk, pulled out a clean parchment, and picked up the quill that sat there in its ink pot.

With a low sigh, she began writing on the paper.

It had been a long time since she had written a letter to anyone; doing so felt somewhat odd. She was not used to conveying her feelings, even on paper. Despite this, Lightning continued to write as she had already wrote much. It would be a shame to just stop now. Lightning continued to write until she was sure her hand was moving on its own accord.

She paused for a moment to read what she has scribbled down so far and groaned. It sounded pathetic in her head, but perhaps it would not sound so to the one who would receive the letter. Hopefully.

Lightning folded the letter and left her chambers. On the way she requested one of her servants to hand the letter to a messenger and send it off on its way. The servant nodded and bowed before rushing off to follow the queen's bidding. Lightning rubbed her ran a hand down her face, feeling slightly flushed at the rather sentimental way she wrote the letter but shook it off; it was probably best not to dwell on it.

The queen walked moved off towards the library then paused. A little privacy might do her good, as well as reading an interesting book. But perhaps it was best to take Odin out for a run. She knew how much he hated being too cooped up with at least a few minutes of freedom to run around outside.

Deciding that would be the best idea, Lightning changed directions and headed to the stables.

The stable boy and stable master greeted her while they tended to the chocobos. Lightning nodded at them and moved to the far back of the royal stables.  
The familiar black form of Odin greeted her; the steed fed on fresh hay from his feed before he noticed his queen's presence. Once he did, the horse moved closer to her and nudged his nose against her head in greeting. Lightning stroked his long black face and strong neck before patting his favorite spot there. "Are you up for a run Odin?"

The horse neighed eagerly as Lightning opened his stall and guided him outside.

Right away the stable master presented Lightning with her horse's reigns and saddle. Lightning suited Odin up and soon the black horse was ready for his run. Odin's pure white mane danced in the breeze as his tail swished with excitement of being outside.  
The noble steed held still while Lightning mounted his back then moved into a trot. His queen never failed in reading his desires of going outside. Lightning gently kicked his sides and Odin quickened his pace into a gallop as they left the palace grounds. Odin galloped all the way out of town and into the wide plains outside.

The wind blew past them while the sound of Odin's hooves thundered on the soft yet firm ground.

The large horse neighed, pleased with the how wonderful it felt to be outside of his stall once in a while to run so freely in the plains. The grass felt good underneath his hooves and the wind brushed his mane and tail, also cooling his body for another run.  
Lightning noticed her champion's excitement and pat the side of his neck gently. The horse snorted and broke into a full run, knowing his rider was already prepared for his unexpected burst of speed. Indeed, Lightning held on tightly to Odin's reigns while she lavished in the feeling of her horse's unmatched speed.

The adrenaline ran through both rider and horse's veins as Odin ran faster still.

It was like they were one with the wind with how fast they traveled along with the breeze. Odin had become a black and white blur on the plains with his queen seated on his back, also feeling as free as he was outside of the palace walls.

When Odin finally slowed down, Lightning stroked his neck and guided him into a walk back towards Bodhum. Odin did not protest and merely headed back, but at a slow pace in order to savor the freedom of the outside world. Lightning agreed with this and allowed him this pace he preferred.

"The day just seems to grow shorter, aren't they old friend?" Lightning said suddenly. Odin made a low grumbling sound of questioning and the queen pat the side of his neck again as they came closer to home. The steed snorted as if trying to get his master to speak again but Lightning remained silent until they reached the palace gates.

Lightning dismounted the horse and left him in the care of the stable boys. Odin watched as his companion returned to her palace to confine herself within its walls once again.

* * *

**I will end it here now.**

**As mentioned before the story is now extended with new and extended scenes that have not been shown in Chronicles. So expect things to be a little different and see if you can notice what seems to be different.**

**I am still going to continue Chronicles but it will take a bit of time since I now have Sanctuaire to write. I will try to keep things in balance as best as I can so do not worry, each story will get some attention.**

**Until then…**


	3. Chapter III: Coeur Brisé

**Disclaimer:**** I hope all of you are enjoying Sanctuaire (known as the Lonely Queen arc in Chronicles) so far. I know the first two chapters are ones you have read already except with extended scenes. This chapter is still one that you all have read. However it has a different start and is a little longer than in Chronicles and some changes had been made to some of the characters' lines. There are also more appearances from other characters instead of just the few that were shown in Chronicles.**

**Enjoy yourselves and happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter III: Coeur Brisé**

It was the same every night, and it was difficult to sleep because of it.

It was only in the middle of the evening's cold dark embrace does Queen Lightning allow herself to mourn in internal anguish and despair. It was unbecoming of a queen, but that is why she only mourned at night, when nobody could see. When nobody could judge.

Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed loudly, steeling her heart against the never-ending sorrow buried deep within her.

Solitude was her eternal companion, but at the same time solitude mocked her, teased her with sights that made her doubt her own life. It was a very painful yet loving relationship she had with solitude; it was her escape, and it was also her cage. Solitude was her savior from the world and was also the demon that mocked her for sitting alone in the dark.

Her nights were all the same; she could hardly sleep yet when she does manage to do so, images and thoughts she long wished to forget swarmed her mind. The suddenly flow of despair kept her awake, preventing her from feeling any peace within herself.

Seldom had she slept peacefully, every night these images, thoughts, and visions conjured themselves into her tired mind, as if intending to drive her to the brink of insanity. Instantly, her eyes stung with unshed tears, but Lightning refused them. She had not cried in years and she most certainly did not plan to start now. As queen, her priorities, her commitment is to her people. Her country. Nothing else. No more, no less.

Lightning's head began pounding as if protesting against her decision to ignore and push back the thoughts in her head.

She refused them even more, causing the angry headache to increase its painful punishment on her. The queen shook her head and rubbed her temples, groaning to herself bitterly.  
She was not much of a queen if she allowed such trivial thoughts bother her. As always, like she does every night, she shoved back the painful images and laid back on her soft mattress, staring at the ceiling of her bedchamber.

Some peace of mind was all she wished for every time her slumber was disturbed. Though it appears peace was not on her side and refused to do her any favors. Not wanting to let such trivialities get in her way, Lightning closed her eyes and slept once more.

Whether her mind allowed her sleep or not, Lightning cared not. She intended to rest her exhausted and overexerted mind and body, and no odd nightmares or painful words in her head may prevent her from doing so.

"_Who are you waiting for?"_

Lightning tensed upon hearing the same gentle questioning voice that came into her head the moment she closed her eyes. Despite the warmth in the voice, she tried to turn away in her dream but everything continued, unbothered by her attempt to simply rest.

"_Are you alone?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Do you plan to wait all day?"_

"_I will wait however long it takes!"_

"_You have an admirable heart young one."_

She did not want to hear it. She was tired of remembering such things. Those moments no longer mattered; there was no point in reminiscing about them.

"_Did you come here alone?"_

"_I have to."_

"_Is there somebody you wish to see?"_

No. There was nobody she needed to wait for. Not anymore. She wished to see nobody, she wanted nothing but solitude, time away from everything. Yet she still heard it; the kindly voice had now taken on a sad pitying, yet comforting tone.

"_Young one…"_

"…"

"_You don't have to wait anymore… He's not coming back."_

"…"

She knew. She always knew. Yet she remained there, stayed until she was chilled to the bone. But she had not cared; she stayed and refused to move until she was brought back home.  
None of it stopped her from returning to that very same place, at the very same time she always returned. People watched her but she ignored their stares. Their opinion did not matter to her.

It was cold for it winter was arriving. The chill did not touch her however. She felt none of it.

"_It is fine if you wish to cry."_

"_Be strong."_

"_Steel your heart young one."_

"_You do not need to wait anymore."_

"_They cannot return."_

She was aware, she was always aware but she did not bother explaining herself. Nobody could possibly understand. Why would they? This burden, this pain was hers and hers alone to bear. It was then she heard that young voice from long ago, along with her own voice.

"_They are never coming back…are they?"_

"… _No."_

"_I miss them… I wish they were here now!"_

"_I know."_

"_Why can't they come back?"_

"_They just cannot."_

And nothing can bring them back. Nothing.

Lightning ran a hand down her face in frustration. Another sleepless night and once again she had been unable to prevent the images from returning to her mind.  
She threw the blankets off her body and moved to the washroom, splashing cold water in her face. The freezing liquid lifted her mood only somewhat but it was enough for now to Lightning. The queen returned to her chambers and stared at her own reflection on the vanity that stood in one side of the room.

She looked deprived of sleep but it was not so obvious. However, she knew Vanille would make a fuss should she see Lightning in such a state, having known the queen for a long time.

Not matter. Lightning dressed herself into a clean tunic and left her bedchambers. The servants were still asleep as it was still too early for anybody to start working, except for the guards positioned at the gates and around the palace premises. It gave Lightning a good amount of time to finish whatever work she had left unattended to the other day. Once she finished, then she would take Odin out for another run.

She entered her study and only a small pile of parchments awaited her. Small pile or not, Lightning sat at her desk and worked.

She was finished about perhaps an hour or two later and placed everything aside. Now it was time to give Odin his well-earned run. Knowing her stallion, he was probably awake and pacing his stall as if waiting for something exciting to happen. Lightning chuckled at the thought hurried to the stables.

Even the stable boys were still in bed since nobody was in the stables. Most of the chocobos were still nestled in their stalls, resting in their nest of hay as Lightning passed. Right away she could hear Odin's light neigh and the queen just knew he had been expecting her presence. Smirking, Lightning approached his stall and lifted a hand to the black horse's muzzle while her free hand stroked his snowy-white mane.

"Are you ready old friend?" She asked as she opened the stall door. Odin snorted excitedly and followed her out then stood still while she placed the saddle on his back and bowed his head for her to put the reins on him. Lightning could tell he was eager for a nice long run outside and chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Patience. We will be outside soon, old friend."

Odin huffed but obeyed.

Once dressed in his saddle and reins, Lightning lifted a leg up and easily mounted herself onto her champion's back. The stallion shook his head, ruffling his mane a bit before moving into a light trot towards the palace gates.  
The guards stationed there noticed the queen and bowed respectfully before opening the gates to allow their ruler outside for a ride. Lightning inhaled the early morning air; it would not be long before Bodhum awakens and the people would begin their day.

Once they stepped out of the palace gates, Odin broke into an eager sprint.

Lightning held tightly onto the reins, enjoying the wind in her face and releasing the tension she had felt since her waking up. Sensing his queen's need to feel the freedom of the outside world, Odin quickened his pace, knowing full well that Lightning comfortable with the speed, no matter what pace he took.

The smell of the clean air relaxed Lightning as soon as Odin ran out into the plains and stopped for a moment to savor the scene. Almost in an instant she forgot the reason why she had felt so trouble in the first place, and even Odin knew it.

Lightning pat the side of the horse's neck and smiled. "You know me too well old friend." Odin snorted in response and held his head up high in a proud posture. Lightning kicked his sides gently and the stallion moved into a trot before breaking out into a full run.  
Odin's speed was like no other. Chocobos of every breed and color found it difficult to keep up with Queen Farron's majestic beast. Odin's powerful legs had, on multiple occasions, put the ever so famous and fast-moving chocobos to shame.

Many had suspected that horses were faster than chocobos based on Odin's performances, however, Lightning had disagreed saying horses and chocobos were equal in speed; Odin was just special and most likely stood out among both bird and beast mounts.

Odin's coloring was also strange. Never before had anyone seen a horse whose mane was colored differently from its body.

While the stallion's entire body and face was pure black like the darkest night, his mane and his tail were as white as the purest light. Odin was a beauty to behold, a beast worthy to be the queen's mount. When Queen Lightning first brought Odin into the palace, some whispered that perhaps the majestic beast had been a present to the young monarch from a suitor.

Some believed Odin was a horse created and sent to Lightning from Goddess Etro; the horse's speed was unmatchable he seemed very much in sync, in harmony with the queen entirely. Never before had there been such a bond between a beast and its rider.

But of course only Lightning knew where Odin really came from. And the many rumors people made about where Odin may have originated from were slightly amusing, and at times, eccentric. Though, as always, the young queen allowed them their opinions.

Odin huffed, bringing Lightning out of her thoughts.

One look around told the queen that her stallion had wandered off somewhere he thought might be interesting and had taken her along while her mind had been preoccupied.  
She raised an eyebrow at her champion and the horse merely neighed in amusement. The scenery was not at all bad though.

Trees, grass, flowers and much green vegetation surrounded the queen and her steed. A small stream flowed, giving the air a cooling feel.

Lightning dismounted and knelt down to scoop water from the stream and took a long gulp. Odin trotted over and joined her. The young queen sat back against a nearby tree as her blue orbs took in the majesty around her. It was rare to see such beauty untouched by man she hoped to Etro it remained that way; there were some things man was never meant to touch and places man was never meant to tread.

Odin continued to indulge himself in the cold clear waters of the stream before feasting on the abundant amount of green grass around him.

The queen lifted her head and stared at the sky; it was already time for Bodhum to awaken with activities and bustling from the people, and to Lightning it had felt like she had been out in the plains for merely a few minutes. Odin glanced at her and huffed questioningly.  
Lightning said nothing and continued to watch the cloud as they floated by, changing shape every now and then to form interesting figures in the sky.

"Time really is moving faster than usual, isn't it?" Lightning said at last, grabbing Odin's attention. The steed moved to his queen and laid his large body down beside hers on the soft patch of grass underneath the tree.

As soon as the sun was high in the sky, Lightning stood up with Odin following. She mounted her steed and at once the stallion headed back home. Lightning took a while to taken in the view and savor it in her mind. Once her eyes had their fill, she urged Odin into a run and immediately the horse sprinted off towards Bodhum's gates.

At once the citizens turned their heads when they saw their queen riding past.

Their eyes followed her as if in a trance from the young queen's appearance, no matter how brief. Odin's hooves clapped on the stone streets, easily capturing the attention of everybody in the area as he and Lightning ran past. Several of the citizens greeted their queen and Lightning nodded in acknowledgement.

The horse and rider reached the palace gates and right away the guards allowed them in.

Odin slowed into a decent trot towards the stables where the stable master and stable boys were busy cleaning and feeding the chocobos.  
Lightning dismounted her steed and guided him back into the stables. Odin snorted and huffed pleasantly at the sight of fresh hay in his feeding box and indulged himself.

"Majesty!"

Lightning turned to find one of the palace servants running towards her. The woman took a deep breath before addressing the queen again. "Majesty, it is time for us to prepare for the Fireworks Festival. We were awaiting your permission to begin." Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Is it that time of the year already? I hardly noticed."  
The woman servant nodded in agreement. "Yes, the days have been coming and going my queen. I almost forgot about the Festival myself. However I do recall you had sent invitations seven days prior to today."

Lightning waved a hand. "Go on and begin preparations." "Yes my Lady." The servant bowed and hurried off.

The monarch dusted off her tunic a bit before moving towards the training grounds. The soldiers were busy with their morning rituals but stopped when the queen approached. They bowed respectfully and Lightning nodded at them.  
She moved to the weapon rack and pulled out a sword; a little training would do her some good. She headed for the gardens since it was larger and more peaceful there for her to train.

* * *

Noctis watched as the servants ran back and forth around the palace and past the gardens where he currently resided in as a large black wolf, a newfound companion to the Queen of Bodhum.

Since this morning he had heard news of the Fesitval. He heard of it before; every year, Bodhum would hold a grand festival, and both royalties and common folk alike are invited to feast and watch the grand fireworks that only Bodhum was known for.

It also meant others of noble blood would be coming to the palace to dine with the Queen herself.

Noctis had never seen the fireworks before; he never got the chance to since he was more busy and interested in spending time with his beloved Stella to even think about going to trivial festivals. He lowered his head and whined at the memory. Suddenly, his ears perked up and he spotted Queen Farron walking over to the far end of the garden with a sword in hand.

He had seen the young queen leave the palace early this morning with her stallion and had wondered what she had been up to. He had no idea she had returned already.

Curious, the large wolf trotted over. He blinked in surprise when he found her swinging the sword around expertly. She was training; another pastime of hers that Noctis felt that he had discovered. Usually he always found her reading her books in the library while he watched from down below the window.

However this time the young queen seemed to be unleashing another side to her that Noctis had never seen before.

Queen Lightning had a serious expression on her face, just like the expression she wore every day. But this time she seemed to concentrated, focused. The way she trained was as if she could clearly see the enemy right before her eyes.  
Her skill with a blade was impressive, even Noctis had to admit that even though he was fully skilled with a blade and was mostly undefeated in a match, he felt he was probably not as good as Queen Farron. Though he had an idea on why; he remembered talk about how the queen had to rule her country at such a young age. She had been about twelve-years-old when she had been taught the art of politics and fourteen when she learned how to use weapons. She then ruled over Bodhum at fifteen.

Noctis could not help but feel sorry for the young queen; she worked hard every single day, seeming to forsake her own wellbeing in favor of her people's needs instead, just like how she took him in when she thought he was merely an animal.

Nifleheim's prince watched as the young queen raised her arm once again and sliced the air. Her movements were swift and strong; something Noctis had a hard time mastering when he first started training in the art of combat. He managed to fully master that technique about a year later but Farron looked as if she had been good at it since the beginning.

Lightning stopped swinging her sword and looked to the side.

The black wolf was watching her, as if he were intrigued by what she was doing. She sheathed her sword and made her way over to him.  
"Hey." Lightning reached over and stroked the fur of his neck. The wolf barked in greeting and bowed his head. Lightning scratched him behind the ear then smoothed his fur down.  
Noctis took note of how strong and firm the queen's arms were. They had faint scars and a slightly small but firm muscle protruded from her arm; normally a lady's arms are smooth and delicate. He remembered how Stella's arms were so soft and pleasing to touch.  
He mentally sighed; there were times when he wished the queen did let him die; he would have been with Stella in the afterlife, even if she did betray him. He would gladly die to see her.

Lightning noticed the change in mood with the wolf. She stroked his fur then tapped him on the head.

Noctis blinked and looked at the queen. She seemed to have noticed the gloom that started to hang over him. "I have to prepare for the festival. Want to help?" The wolf tilted his head at her.  
The young queen turned around back to the training grounds to return the sword she had been using before she led the wolf into the palace and her bedchamber.

She herded the wolf into the washroom and allowed him to jump into the tub full of water and rose petals. Lightning scrubbed his fur clean and brushed off the rose petals that stuck to his fur.

Noctis' ears lowered down the back of his head in a sorrowful gesture; he could hardly feel the comforting touches of the young queen or her efforts to calm him.  
She seemed to notice this as well and sighed. "Come on now." She said, gesturing for him to get out of the tub now.

The wolf obeyed but his mind was still a complete blank except for happy memories that he had of _her_. The only happy moments they had; the times when he believed she loved him like he did her. Deep down he felt maybe she did love him despite the face she had said to him in his face that she never did love him, not even for a second. He refused to believe it; she _had_ to love him!  
But when she pointed her weapon at him, with no emotion or hint of regret in her eyes, he had no choice but to fight back, and kill her.

Despite how angry he felt, he could not, did not want to let go of the love he still had. Everyone called Stella a wench and traitor; which she really was. But Noctis wanted nothing more than to kill all those who slander her.

Lightning all the while had been stroking her companion's black fur gently. What made this wolf seem so…sorrowful?  
The young queen guided the animal to the library and then sat herself on the window sill she always sat and picked up a book she had left there the other day. She tapped the wolf's nose, getting his attention for a bit. She showed him the book. "You like this one, am I right?"She said.  
On the book's cover was the title "_Fabula Nova Crystallis_". Lightning had discovered one day while reading this very book that the wolf seemed to love this volume; it was rather amusing since it was Lightning's most favorite book since she was young.

Though the language in which the title was written is a long-forgotten one, Lightning, out of love for the book and its tales, researched hard and long to find exactly what it meant in common language. Finally she had managed to learn the meaning of Fabula Nova Crystallis: New Tale of Crystal.

Recognizing the book, Noctis trotted over and sat down on his haunches next to the queen. She opened the book and the wolf looked over her shoulder to read the page in front of them.  
A few minutes into reading and already Noctis was feeling better; the stories intrigued him so much that he found himself able to think of other things.  
Lightning noticed his wagging tail and smiled to herself, knowing he was feeling better now. She stroked him behind the ear.

"Feeling better wolf?"

"_Ruff!_"

Queen Farron closed the book and stood up from the window sill to put the book back in the shelf it belonged.

It amazed Noctis how the queen managed to remember exactly where each book belongs since there were plenty of shelves and even more books in the royal library. Lightning turned back to him and scratched his muzzle gently. "How about helping me with the festival now?" She said quietly. Noctis barked and followed Queen Farron out into the hall.

The servants that passed by greeted the queen as they ran along with decorations for the festival.

Noctis wondered if Bodhum's fireworks were really that amazing. Some other countries had fireworks as well, though everyone says Bodhum's is the best.  
Since he was here, he might as well join in with the festivities and watch the fireworks for the first time. Word had also reached his ears that in the palace would be a feast in the palace that the nobles would attend; Noctis did not doubt that Bodhum's allies would be there. However, he wondered and worried if his father would attend the feast as well, as Nifleheim was also an allied country to Bodhum.

Noctis watched as Queen Lightning inspected every detail and even assisted the servants despite their protests. She merely ignored them and helps them decorate the palace to perfection.

When it was time to help arrange the flowers, Noctis trotted over and picked a rose up in his mouth before walking back to Lightning and pushed the flower at her.  
The queen raised an eyebrow; was a _wolf_ handing her a flower? Perplexed but amused nonetheless, Lightning took the flower from him. "I thank you, wolf."  
The black beast bowed his head down as if he were a noble man bowing down before the queen. Lightning chuckled at this and ruffled his fur. "Smart beast, aren't you?"

Noctis barked, his ears twitching. Spending time with the queen made him feel like he was spending time with his friends again; how he missed Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto. But now he did not miss them that badly, and it was all thanks to the young queen who befriended him, a wild beast. But every moment in her company made him feel as if he were with his three companions again.

They walked into the dining hall and Noctis was instantly impressed with how grand everything looked.

Despite how amazing and grand the palace was, Bodhum's royal family was always modest and humble. An attitude that was hard to find in royalty nowadays, especially in blowhards like Count Gilgamesh.  
In the past few weeks, Noctis watched as many a man tried their luck at winning Queen Farron's hand; it seems as though she was the most beautiful and desired in Bodhum. Noctis felt like disagreeing with them; Queen Farron seemed beautiful, true. But to him, Stella was always the loveliest of all. He glanced at the young queen and noticed she had suddenly grown still. He nudged her with his wet nose and she blinked as if coming out of a trance. She pats his head and walked off, moving swiftly.  
Noctis was not sure if he was meant to follow her or not but since she did not call him, he supposed she needed to be on her own. As he trotted back to where the garden was, his sharp ears caught the voices of servants that stood nearby.

"Ever since her Majesty brought that wolf in, she seemed to be doing very well now."

"Yes, I noticed. But I still worry so much; the queen is still very…vulnerable."

"But as long as that wolf is there to comfort our Highness and it helps, I am willing to allow that animal to walk in the halls with muddy paws."

"But even such friendships cannot help."

"Why must you be so pessimistic? This is for the sake of our queen!"

"Yes, true."

"I am not being negative, I was merely being realistic."

"The queen does seem to be getting better though, I can almost feel it."

"There are many things we still do not know about Lady Lightning."

Noctis growled, not sure what they were talking about. What was this they were they talking about Lightning? What did they mean? Queen Farron? Vulnerable? The woman was anything but vulnerable. Noctis growled in suspicion; whatever it was these servants were speaking about, it was clear it involves Queen Lightning.  
He tried listening in again but the servants decided it was time to help prepare for the festival with everybody else. Noctis mentally cursed; their words had gotten him intrigued, and he felt like he needed to learn more. Something was happening in the minds of those servants and the black wolf was beyond curious as to what it was.

The smell of a deer caught his attention; the guards had released another prey for him again. Deciding he will figure everything out later, the wolf followed the smell of the deer that had been unleashed into the garden.

* * *

Lightning stared at the full-body vanity mirror as Vanille dressed her up in her royal tunic. The servants came to accept their queen's dislike for dresses but that still did not halt them from trying to convince her to wear one at least once in a while.

Queen Farron however, preferred wearing a royal tunic; clothing that was mostly worn by a prince or king. Despite how male the queen's choice of garments was, everybody agreed she still looked rather stunning.

Noticing her queen's blank expression, Vanille stopped what she was doing. "Lightning? Is something wrong?" "I was just…thinking." Lightning said in a low tone. She sounded tired; Vanille worried that she did not get enough sleep once again due to late hours working on new and better decrees that would make Bodhum a better place.  
Queen Farron rarely turned down a request for an audience with her, another trait she had as a queen that earned her great respect from the commoners and other nobles; she was willing to listen if she ever had the time. Though one must consider that the queen would only take requests that were appropriate and of the utmost importance.

Many a man had desired her hand the moment Queen Lightning grew into the woman she was today. And a woman she became at the mere age of sixteen; already by then many men born of the blood wished to woo her to their side, but Queen Farron's will was as strong as the mountain and as hard as the legendary material known as mythril.

As quick as they came and as many as there were, all men who attempted to win the queen's hand would return home with an empty arm and heavy heart. Of course Lightning was not heartless but she was utterly straight forward and had a no-nonsense approach in rejecting helpless starry-eyed men that were after her heels.

Vanille brushed the queen's tunic clean and Lightning continued to stare at her own reflection, though it seemed that she did not see herself or even the mirror at all.

"Lightning, tell me what's wrong." Vanille pleaded, tugging on her longtime friend's sleeve. The young queen shook her head. "It's nothing important; I just have many things on my mind at the moment." The redhead handmaiden was not convinced. She walked around until she was in front of Lightning. She looked up at the taller woman and looked at her disapprovingly. "Lightning please tell me if something is wrong; we all agreed didn't we?"

Lightning sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine. I am feeling…very tired at the moment."

"Did you work late again, _Highness_?" Vanille said, knowing Lightning did not like titles between friends. The young queen walked to her bed and sat down on the soft mattress and silky covers. "A little. I was awake until…nearly dawn." "That's not good for you, Majesty!" Vanille scolded, unable to hide the worry in her voice.  
Lightning gave her handmaiden and friend a look. "Look at me Vanille; I'm fine. I did manage to sleep before I started the day, so don't worry so much." "But—" Lightning raised a hand to stop Vanille from speaking. "Please. Just…give me a moment." She said tiredly.

Sighing in defeat, Vanille bowed her head respectfully before leaving the royal chamber of the queen.

Noctis stood there in the middle of the hall as Vanille the queen's handmaiden came out of the queen's room, looking slightly distressed. The wolf cocked his head curiously, wondering what might have upset the usually perky woman.  
Vanille noticed the large wolf standing there and walked past him. "You can see her if you want, Sir Wolf." She said as she walked by.

Noctis' ear twitched as he approached the queen's chamber door. He lifted his huge paw and scratched at the door.

Queen Farron answered right away by opening the door and stepping aside to allow him in. The wolf trotted around the room for a minute as if showing something of then stopped and sat down on his haunches in front of Lightning.  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "… Was there something you wanted to say?" Noctis barked at her and turned his head to look at the door. Lightning sighed. "I know. I just needed a small break first. I feel a bit tired." She reached her hand forward and stroked his fur.

Noctis' ears lowered at the pleasing touch. It was still surprising how a queen with a strong sword arm was able to possess the gentlest of touches.

Suddenly, Lightning stopped laid down on her bed, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling of her room. Noctis pressed his large wet nose against her knee in question.  
She seemed to ignore him and continued to lie there silently. Lightning closed her eyes and groaned tiredly, seeming to have fallen into a light slumber. Noctis understood; she had not gotten any sleep it seemed.  
This was not uncommon, especially for those of noble blood; it was usual for one to work late nights and hardly get any rest for the evening until dawn arrives. Noctis himself knew very well what it was like to work late and lack any sleep. Of course aside from working until dawn, he merely stayed awake to reminisce about his precious times with Stella; how wonderful things were back then; so simple. Full of love—at least on his part. How he wished he could have found a better solution than kill her. He was sure he could have made her love him for truly, wasn't that right?

Yet the way she coldly said he had been nothing to her still stung, but he wanted to hold on to hope.

Noctis turned his attention back to Queen Farron. She seemed to be sleeping well; at least this light napping would restore a bit of her stamina before she appeared for the Fireworks Festival.  
The wolf nudged her hand slightly. Lightning did not budge; she was definitely exhausted. With nothing else for him to do, Noctis circled a bit then lay down on the floor, at the foot of the large bed. He might as well follow Lightning's example and rest.

For some reason, he felt as if he needed to keep an eye on this young monarch.

After what he had heard from the servants a while back, he wondered if anybody was after the queen's life. Of course it was a common fact for nobles to be targeted by assassins but for as long as he had been in Bodhum, nobody seemed to want to harm Queen Farron; they all loved and respected her like the great queen she was.

Still one cannot be too sure of one's safety. But Lightning did not seem worried about anything. She did not even seem cautious and merely acted as she usually did on normal days.

Noctis closed his eyes. What did the servants mean the queen was vulnerable? And why did they consider him a good asset for the queen? Was it because the sight of him could scare intruders away or was it something else?  
Not wanting to think anymore, the black wolf allowed sleep to take him to the distant land of dreams where he could roam free as he wished. But deep down, he wondered what Queen Farron dreams about.

* * *

The citizens of Bodhum crowded the streets as they began their merrymaking. The late noon cast a lovely glow over the town and the royal guards greeted the civilians who wished them well on their duty. The people were excited and eager to watch the fireworks, but they would have to wait for the evening to see it.

Queen Farron walked down the halls of her palace, dressed in her royal tunic and cloak. Noctis walked beside her, his tail high in the air.

He wondered who among the nobles came to the royal feast. No doubt the allies of Bodhum. But did that mean his father was there as well? If Giovanni Caelum did attend to this royal feast then Noctis would be recognized.  
He was not sure what he were to do if everyone in the room, or at least Queen Lightning would do if she were to learn that her wolf companion was none other than Prince Caelum of Nifleheim. Noctis had not anticipated such a scene; what would he say and what excuse could he give? If he told them the truth, the nobles would no doubt badmouth the Fleuret princess and he would lose control and probably murder them for the slander. But…what of Queen Farron? She had treated him kindly like a true friend and companion.

However, deep down if she were to agree with the nobles who slandered Stella's name, Noctis would definitely kill her as well. Yes, it was ungrateful he knew. But inside he felt she deserved it if she spoke any words of slander. He glanced at her.

_Ungrateful oaf! Selfish boar! She treated you as a friend! She sheltered you and kept you fed!_

"_Yes. But that does not matter…"_

_You truly are beast for thinking that way. You would kill the one whom you owe your life to? If not for her, you would have been rotting in the forest with maggots eating at your flesh and bone._

"_That would have been better. I would be with my princess again."_

_She betrayed you! You are just a desperate little child who foolishly and childishly thinks that events would have changed. You are no man._

"_Be that as it may, even Queen Farron would taste the steel of my blade should she slander. Anyone who slanders must die by my hand! They know nothing!"_

_Ungrateful selfish child! Monster! Pathetic sad little boy!_

"_It doesn't matter what I am called. It is my life and I will do what I wish with it."_

_Spoiled prince. You will never grow into a true man. You will never learn, you will never obtain that which is most precious._

"_And what is it that I would want that is most precious when I had lost her?"_

_Fool! There is something more precious in this world than memories and moments that were not even real!_

"_You are the fool, not I."_

_Then wait until the moment you lose what is most precious. You will drown in sorrow that is far worse than the superficial sorrow you are facing now._

"_That I doubt very much."_

_You will see one day, foolish child…_

The mental battle with himself left Noctis snarling angrily on the outside. Having forgotten he was looking directly at Queen Farron, he seemed to have snarling at her.  
Immediately, nearby guards rushed over to defend their queen in case the beast turned on her. Lightning halted the guards and placed a gentle hand on the black wolf's muzzle. Noctis blinked and looked at her electric-blue eyes.

Had he been snarling at her?

Noctis lowered his head in apology, though the action seemed stiff, forced, and reluctant. Lightning dismissed the guards and they grudgingly left and returned to their posts.  
She turned her attention to the wolf and pat his huge head. "You don't have to accompany me to the dining hall if you don't want to. You can go back to the gardens now if you wish."

Without a second thought, Noctis turned and ran off to the gardens.

Lightning sighed to herself and rubbed her temples; she felt so uneasy, so strange. It was as if she were disappointed about the wolf's behavior. But he was a wild animal, she knew that very well; she cannot force him to follow orders or make him do tasks he refuses to.  
But then why did she feel like she was hated? This feeling was no unusual to her; Lightning had some insecurity with herself and she knew some very much disliked her for how stand-offish she was. If this wolf felt that way, it made her feel alone. It was as if the animal had made a place in her heart like Odin did. He had become a companion she could rely on and speak her mind to when nobody looked or heard. This was ridiculous, she decided.

Composing herself, Lightning headed for the dining hall where her guests were awaiting her.

In the dining hall, Lightning recognized the monarchs right away. Almost every one there was an ally to Bodhum. Their eyes turned to Lightning but she ignored the stares and approached the table. "Welcome all. I am thankful you decided to accept the invitations to this year's Fireworks Festival." The nobles at the table cheered.

"It is always a privilege to attend Bodhum's festivals." A female monarch with long dark hair that reached her waist smiled at Lightning and the young queen bowed her head slightly. "I thank you for the kind words, Lady Tifa. I trust Lord Cloud feels the same?" Lightning smirked at the blonde man who was seated beside Lady Tifa. The older woman giggled. "I am sure he does." Lord Cloud huffed in response to his lady's words.

Another noble lady giggled. "Lord Cloud is the same as ever, isn't he?" The woman's raven hair matched that of Lady Tifa's, with the clear difference being the caramel streaks on the side. There were times when other nobles would mistaken her for Lady Tifa, and Lady Tifa for her.  
Lightning took her seat at the head of the table before addressing the woman. "And you Lady Rinoa. I see you still remain…vibrant as always."

Lady Rinoa blushed and her husband, Lord Squall cleared his throat.

Lightning almost smirked at his reaction. "Worry not. I am not after a woman's heart." Lord Squall looked the other way, almost seeming embarrassed. His reactions brought out another giggle from his wife.

Yes, Lightning was familiar with most of these monarchs. Though the other half of the guests at the table were merely acquaintances her father had known from a long time past and during Lightning's childhood, her father had introduced them all to her.

The servants then entered the dining hall with the first half of the feast well, prepared to be dined upon.

* * *

It took him a while to cool his head. But once he had regained his senses, Noctis could feel the guilt pull at him. He did not even at least try to refuse Lightning when she allowed him to return to the garden. Instead he fled like an ingrate and left the young queen by herself.

She had seemed uneasy when she awoke from her nap and on her way to the dining hall; it was because of that Noctis accompanied her.

He growled at himself for allowing a mental battle to take place in his head at that moment. The guards might start to fear for their queen's safety because of his actions.  
But Lightning still remained calm and allowed him to leave. If was as if she feared nothing. Queen Lightning Farron was just as her namesake suggested; a force to be recognized.

Making up his mind, he walked back into the palace to find the dining hall.

* * *

"You certainly have outdone yourself Queen Farron!" One of the nobles complimented, raising his wine glass. Everybody at the table tittered in agreement.

Lightning sat at the head of the table, humbly listening to the other royal-blooded individuals at the table while the servants brought in the soup and poured a few scoops into the bowls.

"Lady Farron, how have you been faring recently? I hear there have been much happening among the other countries." A noble lady said. Lightning simply answered, "I've been well. Busy but faring well." The woman smiled at her as she started on her soup.

A noble man cleared his throat. "If I may ask Lady Farron, when are you planning to settle down? Perhaps choose one of the noble men who wish court you?" Lightning mentally sighed; of course they would ask this question; everybody does. It was the same every year. All nobles wondered if she planned on choosing a suitable husband, and when.  
"I have no comment about that I'm afraid." Lightning said in a dismissive tone. The noble man sounded disappointed in the answer.

"Of course she hasn't picked yet!" A familiar booming voice announced. Lightning groaned. Her advisors just _had _to invite Count Gilgamesh as well.

"Queen Farron hasn't seen the strength of the men who courted her! I say we should show our skills, and see who is the better swordsman! I'm sure Queen Farron would be able to choose whoever wins!" Gligamesh said loudly.  
"That is ridiculous man! Absolutely not the way to win a woman's heart!" A noble said in protest and was joined by another.

"Hmph. If the queen were interested in finding a husband, she would have said so. I believe Lady Farron is capable enough to announce such things to us on her own." A noble man dressed in purple with wheat-colored hair said.  
Lightning looked at him. "Finally decided to speak out loud, Duke Kain?" The older man shrugged. "I was merely stating my opinion on the matter, Highness. And you are welcome."

The noble next to Duke Kain crossed his arms. "Still, isn't about time you at least try to choose a husband, Queen Farron? I understand how you wish not to rush such a thing but it is still for the sake that you bear heirs for your kingdom to rule in your stead.  
Lightning gave the dark-haired man a look but answered as courteously as she could manage. "I apologize, but that is none of your concern Lord Raines. I will manage in my own time."

"Always straight to the point, are you not Lord Raines?" A younger nobles commented with a slight chuckle. Duke Kain humphed. "And you Prince Firion? Do you not have a say in this?" Prince Firion shook his head. "I understand Queen Farron's thoughts on this and I respect it of course." A man beside Duke Kain, Lord Cecil, nodded in agreement. "Well spoken Firion my friend."

Lightning wished everyone at the table would stop speaking of her and her refusal to marry as if she were not there. Fortunately, the cooks entered the dining hall with the main course. Lightning relaxed when the topic was changed and the nobles began to talk amongst themselves.

As usual, Count Gilgamesh began to boast of tales and battles he had fought in.

Everyone knew he had imagined all those events himself but he gave them all no choice but to listen to his ramblings.  
"I had crossed blades with strange opponents more times than I could count. I almost surrendered myself to a life in oblivion, but no…I persisted because I knew there was more waiting for me out there! So I stood up once again and took up arms and battled every opponent I came across…"

Lightning rested her cheek against her fist, her eyes drooping sleepily from the boring tale the count was clearly making up from his own boastful mind.  
Before the young queen could actually fall asleep, the doors of the dining hall burst open and a familiar black form entered.  
The guests gasped in shock and in horror. Some of the men prepared themselves and placed a hand on their daggers.

Count Gligamesh pointed at the wolf. "You see? I _told_ you! I told you that there was a beast lying in wait here in the queen's palace! Believe me now? This beast has forced himself into the queen's home!" The guest started murmuring to each other.  
"I cannot believe it!" "That boasting oaf Gilgamesh was telling the truth _for once_!" Lightning listened calmly then sighed and stood up to greet the wolf.

Her guests yelled for her to stand back but she ignored them. Lightning stroked the wolf's fur in greeting and Noctis knew he was now safe from any of the noblemen's blades now.  
"Hello friend. Welcome." Lightning said loud and clear enough for all of the guests to hear. Their eyes widened in surprise; had the queen called that beast friend?  
The gigantic wolf barked, startling the guests but Queen Farron merely stroked its fur and guided it to the table.

"Queen Farron! I will end this beast for you!" Gligamesh yelled, trying to sound brave but his knees were trembling at the sight of the large animal and his boast went unheard.

"Fitting that such a powerful queen was able to tame such a beast."

"How did you tame the creature?"

"Is it your royal canine companion?"

Lightning stroked the wolf's muzzle gently as she answered the guests. "I did not tame him, and he is not a pet; I found him nearly a month ago and allowed him to stay here until he has fully recovered to full health."  
The guests murmured to each other as the queen ruffled her wolf companion's fur. "Does he have a name?" A young brunette noble woman asked. Her left blue eye and right green eye shone with curiosity. Lightning shook her head. "No. He doesn't have a name." She stared at the wolf oddly as he stared back.

"Lady Yuna, be careful!" One noble cautioned as Yuna took a closer look at the wolf. "Then, how do you call him over or talk to him?" Yuna asked, taking in the large beast's appearance. Lightning shrugged in response. "Wolf…?" Yuna giggled and nodded before sitting back calmly beside her husband, Prince Tidus of Zanarkand.

The queen requested that the wolf be given his own platter while he joined the royal feast. The other nobles wondered if Lady Farron was off her rocker, but nonetheless they continued the dinner.

Noctis took a good glance at the table. He received several frightened and suspicious glances his way but he ignored them; Lightning would not allow anyone to try and hunt him down like a game.  
He tore at his meal hungrily but tried to maintain some table manners. Though he felt like eating like a pig just to spite the other nobles.

"Oh if only Lord Giovanni had been able to attend…"

"Why has he not come? He was invited to the dinner and Festival, was he not?"

"Yes, he most certainly was."

Lightning remained silent as she listened to the conversation. Noctis too had his ears perked up at the topic about his father.  
"King Giovanni rejected the invitation because Prince Noctis left. I hear that he felt it was not right to enjoy while his son was running about by himself." "Prince Noctis probably ran away from his homeland because of his sorrows." "I still do not understand why he would cry over a whore that bewitched him! She clearly had him under a spell!" "Poor boy _wanted_ to be used and abused it seemed."

Noctis snarled; it was as he predicted. He bore his fangs, intending to strike.

Lightning yanked on one of his ears, hard, making him yelp loudly, startling the conversation to a halt. The black wolf pawed at his sore ear and growled at the young queen. Lightning calmly stroked his muzzle, amazing those at the table at her bold move and seemingly effective way of calming the animal down.  
Noctis mentally listed the names of the nobles who spoke the insults, should he have the chance to strike them down one of these days.

Servants entered the dining hall and looked at their queen. "Majesty, if you would please…"

Lightning sighed and stood up. "Please excuse me. There is something I need to tend to." She turned and left the dining room, leaving her nervous guests with Noctis.  
The black wolf considered attacking the nobles again for badmouthing Stella like they did, but his ears caught the sound of worried voices outside of the door. What was happening?

Curious, the wolf stood up and trotted towards the door, wondering what Lightning had been called out for.

But as soon as he stepped up to the door, Lightning returned, looking more awake than before. Noctis remembered how tired she seemed, even looked as if she lost some color due to stress or lack of sleep but she seemed revitalized now.  
Did she receive good news that perked her up once more? Or was it something else? Noctis shook his head; it was none of his business. However, when Lightning stroked his fur, he could not help but feel in her touch as slight feeling of gloom. Had something upset her?

Lightning returned to the table and made an announcement. "It is almost time for the fireworks to begin. I had rooms prepared for you all if you wish to ready yourselves for the tonight's spectacle." The nobles chattered excitedly, clearly eager to see another of Bodhum's amazing fireworks.  
As the guests left the dining room, Noctis sat back on his haunches and started grooming his fur, mostly out of boredom.  
He watched as several of the noble men approached Lightning. He recognized them as Lord Cid Raines, Prince Firion, and Duke Kain Highwind. He listening in carefully at the conversation.

"Thank you again for inviting us to the Fireworks Festival, Lady Lightning."

"Yes, the spectacle is impressive every year."

"Indeed you have outdone yourself."

Lightning nodded at the three men. "Thank you. Feel free to use the rooms in the palace to freshen up before the fireworks begin." The three nodded and left the dining hall.

"Lightning." At the call of her name, the young queen exhaled as her closest allies came to her. "You are free to do as you wish here until the fireworks, as I mentioned before." Lightning said. "Of course. It just so good to see you again." Rinoa said and the other ladies nodded.  
Tidus spoke finally—though Lightning was impressed he had managed to stay silent until now. "Don't pay any attention to what those nobles say. The choice is up to you, right?" It was amazing how this prince was actually older than Lightning was. Queen Farron nodded. "Yes…I am aware. Ah, there is something I need to attend to. Please, all of you enjoy."

Her companions nodded and left the dining hall as well.

Noctis, who had been watching from afar, approached the young queen and nudged his nose against her hand. Lightning stroke his head. "I don't know what made you so upset a while ago, but you shouldn't go around attacking people because you felt like it." She lectured gently, walking out of the dining hall as well with Noctis at her heels.

The black wolf growled to himself; she would not understand. Nobody would understand his reasons. He did not care if people thought he was crazy for still mourning over Stella. She never bewitched him or hypnotize him. He knew what he was feeling the whole time and he did love her until now.  
He barely noticed where he was going until his nose hit a wall.  
The wolf snarled in annoyance and looked behind him to see Queen Farron staring at him oddly. She went over and soothed his nose. "You were dazed for a second there. What happened?"

Noctis snorted in her face. Lightning nodded and stood up. "Sorry. I see you need time to yourself. The fireworks will be starting soon."  
Lightning headed for her chambers, leaving Noctis to himself. The wolf huffed and headed out into the garden, hoping the spot he chooses would have a good view of the fireworks when it started.

Lightning had returned to the library, hoping to get some reading done.

"My queen!" A young male servant dashed to her side and held a piece of paper up to her. "A messenger dropped this letter, Lady Lightning. It is for you." Lightning's heart drummed in her chest as she calmly accepted the letter. "Thank you. You may join the others in watching the fireworks now if you wish."

The servant's eyes dazzled with excitement. "Yes Highness! Thank you!" He ran off.

As Lightning moved into the library, she stared at the royal seal that closed the letter and then opened the letter. Her eyes scanned every word carefully until a small smile appeared on her lips. The words were comforting, something she had been lacking for a year or so now. Her heart jumped lightly as she finished reading the letter.  
Lightning placed the letter down on the nearest desk and made her way over to the window she always sat at. The fireworks would be displaying themselves soon.

She moved to a shelf and easily reached for the book she had been reading that day. Reading would pass the time until the fireworks begin.

_-XIII-_

The citizens of Bodhum and the visiting nobles had already gathered around the town and waited for the fireworks. All was still and quiet for several minutes until a loud bang was heard and bright lights shot up into the air and burst into a variety of colors.  
The crowd cheered at the spectacle and clapped at how lovely it all looked. It seemed that this year's fireworks were even better than last year.

Noctis stared up into the night sky, watching as the fireworks colored the black sky and sparkled brightly. It was truly as beautiful as people said it was. He just wished a certain someone was still here to share this sight with him.

* * *

Lightning watched the fireworks from the library window, her eyes reflecting the bright colors that paraded along with the stars in the sky. She could hear the people cheer happily as they watched the fireworks. The bright colors cast different-colored glows onto everyone and even on parts of the castle.

The Fireworks Festival was another success this year it seemed, and thankfully, all had gone well without any unwanted incident. Hopefully things will continue this way for a while, or at least, long enough.

Lightning sat down on the window sill and stared at the Fabula Nova Crystallis book in her hands, with the letter resting on top of the book, and lowered her head. Her chest started to ache at the feeling of isolation that surrounded her.  
She coughed slightly and cleared her throat as she continued to watch the fireworks alone…

* * *

**I will end this chapter here now.**

**As always, thank you all for reading Sanctuaire and making it possible for this story to become a full fanfic of its own. Remember that this story was known as the Lonely Queen arc in my drabbles fanfiction known as "Chronicles", so I am grateful to you readers for the push and the drive that made me want to continue. With your help, Chronicles and this story have made it through.**

**Let me know your opinions of this story and do you wish to see more? **

**Until then…**


	4. Chapter IV: Devoir

**Disclaimer:**** Thank you to those who took the time to read Sanctuaire. I enjoy writing the story and I have the whole plot and themes and tidbits already laid out on the table before me. So I very much know where the whole thing will go.**

**Happy reading to all!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter IV: Devoir **

"Highness? Something troubles you?"

Lightning removed herself from the trance she had just been in a mere second ago and glanced at the men that sat at the long table. The council of Bodhum had gathered earlier that morning to discuss matters with the queen. It was nothing new to Lightning. The council had continuously asked her the same inane questions; how were they to make sure Bodhum remained rich and pure, that the country provided well for itself.

On many occasions Lightning would remind them, sometimes show them, that Bodhum was still as prosperous as ever.

The queen sat up straight against her seat and stared directly at the council members. "I need not remind you again that Bodhum has not encountered any trouble for the past long years since my coronation. I intend to keep it that way as well." The council murmured to each other. "Highness, there is also…word of you needing an heir, and a king…" One member mentioned carefully, knowing the topic was a sensitive one.  
Lightning held back her icy glare and merely stared at the one who had spoken. Despite seeing no glare on her face, the queen's expression and cold eyes still managed to bring a cold draft down the man's back. He tried not to shiver in front of the queen, lest he offended her in any way.

Lightning remained calm and civilized. "I prefer to keep away from such a topic at the moment. If anything, that is the very least of my worries."

"Majesty…" The man began again but Lightning held a hand up to silence him. "Enough. I do not wish to discuss anymore of this. Instead tell me of something of much greater importance." The queen's posture told the council members that perhaps it truly was best to speak of a different topic. Lightning continued to listen to every word that they had said.  
It was the same discussions she had been hearing for years, but she said not a word to express her impatience and remained as collected as she could. Though several members of the council seemed to sense the queen's waning patience with them and quickly diverted to another topic to avoid the queen's cold wrath.

Queen Farron was unlike any other monarch; king or queen, it did not matter. She had the disposition of an angered goddess once provoked to an extreme extent, but nobody dared and try to see what that side of the queen was like.

The council left the moment they had said all they needed to; leaving Lightning to her thoughts as she strolled down the halls once it was all over. She stopped for a moment to stare out of one of the palace's windows. The days were the same, never-changing, never completely moving forward. But in a way, perhaps it was better that way; when the people of Bodhum would feel perpetual peace for the rest of their lives.

"You seem to be a bit troubled."

Lightning turned to face Fang and sighed before turning her sights forward. "Not at all. Just thinking." Fang snickered and ruffled the queen's hair, being one of the only ones allowed to have such unrefined contact with the queen. "I have known you for a long time, Lightning. I can tell you are troubled by something." Lightning grunted and faced her longtime friend. "You are the general of Bodhum's army, Fang. Your duty is to see to the kingdom's safety, not to analyze what is in my thoughts."

"A general _and_ a friend, Lightning. Do not forget that. And not just me; Vanille as well." Fang reminded. Lightning resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I am aware of that, General Fang. But my duty is not to stand around and think aimlessly like a maiden dreaming of a nonexistent future that comes from a child's book." The general laughed and shook her head. "No, of course not. But I must say, your thoughts seem rather interesting, rather than those lovelorn maidens and Romeos; you think of things that may be impossible yet could be reached if one tried."

The queen raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know what I think of? Unless the Goddess Etro gifted you with the power to gaze into the minds of people, I doubt you know what you are saying about my thoughts."

"It does not require a seer nor a mind-reader to look into your thoughts, Lightning. They just do not have the privilege to come close like Vanille and I do." Fang chuckled, "I do admit your scowl is quite intimidating, and it frightens people." Lightning gave Fang a look and the female general broke into a hearty laugh. "Yes! _That_ is the scowl I meant!" "Was there something important you wished to discuss, General? Or did you merely come to my side to patronize me?" Lightning growled slightly. Her companion waved a hand at her. "Come now, you know I did not mean anything by it. And I came here to make sure my queen is not exerting herself too much."

Lightning's scowl deepened.

"Duty, duty…that is all you have on your mind. Why not take the time to do something else; just taking Odin out for a daily run is not the only way to experience true freedom for a moment." Fang suggested but the queen looked away. "I have no need for such advice." The female general shook her head disapprovingly. "Ah, you deny yourself too much."

When Fang's humor died down for a moment, she tapped Lightning's head. "I also wanted to talk about that animal you unleashed into your gardens." "His presence bothers you?" Lightning questioned. With a chuckle, Fang waved the concern off. "Not at all. I just find his moods rather odd. I have been watching lately; first he seems to take a liking to you, then at the next moment he snaps as if you had done a great deal to impute his honor. The beast acts like a lover scorned!" Fang laughed at her own humorous idea.

"…"

"Lightning?"

"Even beasts have their own odd qualities about them, I suppose."

"Perhaps. But this one is far too odd, unless his skull had been damaged as a pup."

"His skull is fine, Fang."

"Even so, the wolf cannot just choose one mood or emotion."

Lightning shrugged. "Leave him be. He will not be here long anyway; once he heals he is free to leave as he wishes." "What about his intelligence? He seems rather trained for a wounded beast found in the woods." Fang added, placing a finger and thumb under her chin in thought.  
"Beasts can be intelligent if they wish to. Why show such concern over such a thing when Odin is the same as the wolf in a way."

Fang frowned thoughtfully. "Odin does not act like a lover scorned whose mood changes every moment or so." "No," Lightning agreed, "but he seems to share the same impressive mind. Nonetheless, the wolf will make his own choices." Fang laughed once again. "Even the common animals need not fear when Queen Farron is the one who reigns!" "Hold your tongue before I do it for you." Lightning warned and the general stopped, but her amused smirk remained.

The strolled into the throne room where the two woman found Vanille cleaning the queen's throne.

Lightning raised an eyebrow and Vanille turned, nearly jumping out of her skin. "You startled me! I was just polishing your throne, Lightning." She smiled at the queen and received a gentle pat on the head. "You did not need to." Lightning said and settled on her large, white throne.  
"Is something bothering you?" Vanille asked, tilting her head to the side. Fang snickered, "Duty. It is always duty when it comes to her, Vanille."

"What did I say about holding your tongue, General Fang?" Lightning glared at her.

Fang raised her hands up and Vanille giggled at her friend. "Do you plan on sitting there all day, _Highness_?" Fang asked, raising an eyebrow. Queen Farron sat back against the throne in a slight slouch and rested her cheek against her fist as her elbow rested on the arm of the throne.  
"I suppose that answers our question…" Fang mumbled. Lightning closed her eyes for a moment. "… Leave me now." Vanille and Fang exchanged looks before bowing their heads and exiting the throne room, letting the queen have her peace.

Lightning remained still for what felt like an eternity. Her mind was filled with many racing thoughts, some even she could hardly understand herself. With a heavy sigh she sat upright and carefully leaned her back against her throne.

Thinking deeply was quickly becoming a bad habit, she noticed. Often she found herself wandering how she managed to even get caught in her thoughts when there was not much to think about, or perhaps, she was still too caught up in her previous thoughts during the council's meeting. They meant well, she was sure. But there were simply some topics that must not be trudged upon.

Perhaps now was not the time to merely sit and think; there were duties she still needed to intend to. Lightning rose up from the throne and left the room, leaving the gigantic doors to slam shut behind her on their own.

It had been some time since she had visited the market, perhaps now would be a good time to do so. Several servants who she had passed by bowed their heads at her as she walked past them before they returned to their daily chores around the palace.  
The queen returned to her chambers, exchanging her formal tunic for something simpler. As queen, even a simple casual tunic would be of the highest quality and it still stood out among others around her. Lightning always ignored this fact; after all, it was merely clothes.

Vanille was at her door, dressed in a middle-class tunic and was hold a basket, the moment Lightning left her room. The queen raised an eyebrow at the handmaiden. "Lightning? Are you going somewhere?" The redhead asked, taking in her friend's attire. Lightning nodded and Vanille suddenly broke into a large smile. "Perfect! I was just about to visit the market and get more supplies for the kitchen. May I join you?"  
Lightning sighed knowing the girl would follow her whether she said yes or no. "Fine."  
Vanille grinned and followed at Lightning's heels out, her usual skip in her step. She pranced around a bit in her usual display of youthful energy.

Lightning walked alongside the handmaiden, her usual air of nobility hung about her like an aura that was hard to miss.

Despite this, Vanille kept in pace with the queen until they were past the gate of the palace and walked towards town. Already it was bustling with activity from the many vendors and buyers alike; Bodhum was known for its many honest business men and merchants and traders since Lightning Farron's reign and nobody dared disturb the peace unless they intended to challenge the stormy will of the young queen.

"Ah Vanille! It has been a while since I last saw you." A fruit vendor said with a friendly smile. Vanille greeted the man in kind while Lightning stood back a few paces. The man finally took notice of Vanille's companion and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to make a formal greeting but Vanille placed a hand over his mouth and with her free hand, placed a finger to her lips. The vendor understood; it seems the queen did not wish to attract attention to herself in these busy streets. The man nodded making Vanille drop her hand at once.

"Well my Lady…what brings you here down from the throne?" The vendor asked in a low voice. Lightning glanced at him. "… Escorting a lady on her way to the market." The answer was blunt but gave off no rude tone.

Vanille hummed as she looked for the most fresh fruits and vegetables the vendor had to offer. The man diverted his attention to the redhead instead, much to Lightning's relief. She knew she still stood out despite her casual tunic but if one were to shout her name it would gather more unwanted attention, and that was a scenario she wished to avoid for the moment.

"My Lady if I may, I wish to ask you a question." The vendor had turned back to the female monarch, his expression now serious. Lightning nodded in approval for him to speak. "A close friend of mind resides in Nifleheim. I have not seen him in two years now and I wonder how Nifleheim is at the moment. Is there any news I need to be concerned about?"  
Lightning shook her head. "Nifleheim is still as prosperous as Bodhum and any trace of woe is no longer there. However, the royal family is the only main concern. But I'd rather not go into a subject that is not of anyone else's concern."

The vendor nodded. "I understand my Lady. I am thankful my friend would not encounter harsh times, but it is rather strange what happened to the royal family. If you do not mind me saying, I hear Prince Caelum had been missing for three years as of now."

"… Has he?" Lightning said in a low voice.

"Word has it that Lord Caelum as not seen his son since and does not know his son's whereabouts himself. Pity really, the prince is a fine young man." The vendor said absently, as the other half of his attention was arranging his fruits and vegetables.  
Lightning remained silent until Vanille returned to her side, finished with her gatherings. She bid the vendor farewell and continued on with the queen following. The bakery was where the redhead stopped next.

It seems that Vanille had gained a decent amount of friends at the market since the girl who worked at the bakery recognized her as well. Just as the vendor had, the bakery girl gaped the moment her eyes happened upon Lightning. However, she instead flushed and bowed her head shyly. Lightning raised an eyebrow when the girl pulled Vanille aside to help her choose a nice fresh loaf of bread.

"Vanille! You did not mention the queen would be so…so…"

"Intimidating?"

"Well…in a way…"

"Lovely to behold?"

"She is quite handsome for a woman…"

Vanille laughed and glanced at her longtime friend. Lightning was leaning against the wall of the bakery with her arms crossed over her chest. Sensing someone's eyes on her, Lightning looked over at Vanille and the redhead snorted in the process of trying to covering a giggle as she turned away from Lightning's eyes. The young queen stared at the girls suspiciously before shrugging the matter off and continued to remain still against the wall.

"Her Majesty is escorting me around the market." Vanille said with a grin. The bakery girl flushed as she stole a glance at the queen; Queen Lightning Farron was certainly a sight to behold, and the rumors regarding her seemingly ethereal beauty was certainly no exaggeration in the bakery girl's opinion. Though the monarch was stoic and not at all talkative like most nobles, there was an air of nobility, of honor, of greatness that surrounded her, and it separated the queen from the rest. Queen Farron also seemed to have the form of a soldier, and a face that could be considered both beautiful _and_ handsome at the same time.

Not realizing she had been staring, the girl's eyes were all but sparkling with as she gazed upon the queen's form. Lightning looked her way and raised an eyebrow. The girl flushed until she was bright red, gasped and then scurried of in a hurry to assist Vanille, leaving the queen rather confused.

"Vanille…why not try out raisin bread? My father just baked it fresh a while ago." The girl suggested hurriedly, hoping that Queen Farron was no longer looking at her. Vanille giggled. "Of course! I haven't had raisin bread in a long time!"  
Grateful for the distraction, the baker girl rushed into the back of the shop, calling her father for some of his freshly-baked raisin bread.

"You will love the raisin bread they make here, Lightning. It's always fresh and absolutely delicious!" Vanille gushed, thinking of the taste of the bread. Lightning chuckled.

The baker's daughter returned with a tray of fresh and still-warm raisin bread. She and Vanille grinned as the redhead took a bite and hummed in approval at the taste.  
The girl hesitated when she faced Lightning and flushed. Trying not to shake out of bashfulness, she pushed the tray towards the queen. "Would Your Highness…like to try some…raisin…bread…?" Vanille blinked in surprised; the baker girl was always full of confidence and had an enthusiastic disposition. To see her act the way she was now certainly was new.

Vanille glanced and Lightning; as the queen politely picked up the smallest slice of the raisin bread, the baker girl flushed and smiled shyly. The handmaiden giggled to herself. She should have known.

Of course Lightning made people's heads turn wherever she went and wherever she may go. It was not only men who would stop just to have the chance to gaze upon her enigmatic form, but women as well, and her baker friend was no exception it seemed. Lightning stared at the baker girl oddly before she took a bite of the bread and nodded. "It is indeed as good as Vanille said. Tell your father to continue his honest work; it will do him well with such a talent at baking."

The girl's red cheeks seemed to burn as she nodded and bowed her head. "Y-yes! Thank you Highness! I will be sure to tell him!"

When Vanille finished her slice, she announced she had better leave now that she had gotten the fresh bread she needed. The baker girl seemed slightly disappointed. "Must you leave so soon?" Vanille could not help but notice that as she said those words, her eyes were gazing right at Lightning. Though the young queen did not seem to notice the attention.

"I'm afraid I have to. There are still some things I need to purchase and I am sure Lady Lightning would need to return to the palace soon." Vanille said. Lightning remained austere. "No need to rush Vanille. You may take your time."

The queen's handmaiden smiled and nodded thankfully. "Don't worry; I will be sure to visit again!" She said to her friend, giving the girl a friendly hug. The baker's daughter chuckled and tried not to let her eyes wander to the monarch again. It seemed rather shameful for her to keep staring at the queen as if she had she just seen a magnificent knight who stood atop a grand hill with his noble steed rearing…

Lightning was the first to leave the bakery with Vanille at her heels, putting the young baker girl's daydream to an end.

"How amusing." Vanille stated as she walked alongside Lightning. Her taller companion looked at her oddly. "What is?" "My friend. I believe she had become enamored with you, _Majesty_." The queen's handmaiden teased and Lightning's only reaction was to blink, an unreadable expression on the monarch's face.

"You must smell of pheromones, Lightning." Vanille laughed lightly and the older woman huffed grumpily; she found nothing amusing neither in what had occurred a while ago nor in what Vanille had said. "Fang is most certainly a bad influence on you." The young handmaiden stopped laughing and her lips formed into a pout. "That is not true at all! You just need to remove the tense burdens from your shoulders every so often."

The monarch scowled and said nothing more.

For the rest of the day, the queen watched over her handmaiden as she skipped along down the market for fresh food along with several new bottles of wine. Lightning never enjoyed wine much or any kind of drink that left one intoxicated and acting like a fool. Only during special occasions did she touch the sometimes-revolting beverage. She drank very rarely but servants would whisper of how inhumane the queen's immunity to intoxication was, for during one point in her life, a suitor had tried to bring the queen into a state of drunkenness only to be astonished at how she was still as sober as ever. It had seemed the queen herself had known it all along as well and the suitor was all but thrown out of the palace for such an attempt at the queen.

"Is that everything Vanille?"

"Ah, yes! I have everything!"

Lightning nodded. "Good. We have to return now." The redhead kept in pace with the queen as they moved back towards the palace. However, they were unable to go farther when a large crowd of people blocked their path. They seemed to be witnessing some kind of out-of-place event, for screaming and yelling, and insults could be heard right in the middle of the crowd.

Vanille looked up at the queen worriedly. Without a word, Lightning pushed forward through the crowd with Vanille keeping close behind her queen.

The moment the two women had moved up in front of the crowd, a tall lanky man toppled and fell in front of them, making Vanille jump and yelp in surprise. Lightning stared at the scene before her; the lanky man stood back up and charged towards a second, more powerful-looking man. The crowd stared, wondering what had caused these two men to get into such a brawl with one another. The fighting pair yelled and continuously threw insults and fists at each other.

Already Lightning could see the damaged they had managed to cause to their faces.

She stepped forward and the witnesses gasped at the daring woman who seemed crazy enough to try and get between two aggressive men who were in the middle of a fight. Vanille held her hands together and watched on, knowing this was what Lightning did best; be the queen of Bodhum and look after the country and its people. But the duty also came with risks of getting harmed, but the redhead knew Lightning was skilled and powerful, and most of all, fast.

The men continued their fight until Lightning stepped closer to them, her eyes darkened. "What is this?" She demanded, catching the attention of the men. In their heated exchange and struggle, they seemed to have forgotten how to tell who was more superior to them. "This ain't your business woman! Shove off!" The lankier man said, glaring at Lightning before returning his glare to his opponent.

The young queen smacked the lanky man a fair distance from the other offending male until she was right in between them and their quarrel.

Both men glared at the intruder. Lightning stood her ground calmly, but her eyes were like the raging storm as she stared the men down. They were intimidated by her glare, which seemed to anger them even more, especially now they had a new target for their anger.  
"You want me to break your pretty face, woman?" The bulkier man demanded, cracking his knuckles. The crowd gasped; shocked that anybody would have the Gaul to attack a woman just like that. Lightning raised a doubtful eyebrow.

She placed a hand on her hip. "Do you both honestly think that either of you could land a blow on me?"

Vanille knew that the words were not arrogance, just pure facts. However, it angered the men even more. Forgetting each other for a moment, they went for Lightning instead. The queen easily dodged every blow they threw at her; her expression did not change a single bit. Vanille could tell she was not putting much effort in her movements, that she was merely holding back. Still, the young handmaiden could not help but flinch whenever a punch came close to Lightning's face.

The men grew tired already but Lightning looked like she could continue for the whole day.

When at last the two decided to attack her at the same time, Lightning swiftly stepped to the side and lifted a leg, striking them in the abdomen and sending them flying backwards, almost hitting the crowd in the process. The men gagged and coughed, proving the harshness of the strike they had received from Lightning.  
A woman from the crowd narrowed her eyes at Lightning then gasped in recognition. "Is that…Queen Farron?" The people around her gaped and stared at the monarch. They whispered and murmured at each other in awe and surprise as Vanille moved back to her queen's side.

"Queen Farron…?"

"That was Queen Farron…"

"The queen? Here?"

Ignoring the awed stares, Lightning approached the collapsed men now that the dispute was disrupted. She bent down on one knee and eyed them sternly. "Explain yourselves; causing pointless ruckus in the middle of the streets disturbs the peace of others and you know that, I am sure." The men groaned painfully, but it was bulkier man who spoke. "The damn churl…trying to use…my sister…seduce her…for…our riches…"

Lightning glanced at the lankier man and stared at him for a few moments. The queen sighed and stood still until the men had enough energy to sit up properly. The bulkier man rubbed his stomach and winced; rumors of Queen Farron's strength seem to be true.

"Your father. He owns his own piece of land?" The queen asked the bulky man. He nodded. "My sister and I look after his lands whenever Father leaves to sell the fruits of his labor. This no-good rat wanted to seduce my sister and take advantage of both her and my father's riches!" The smaller man glared at his opponent. "You do not know me! I do not need that sister of yours to make myself rich!" He stuck his nose up arrogantly in the air.

Lightning's eyes watched carefully, judging the character of the men inside and out. It was also known to some that Queen Farron was also a magnificent politician; she judged carefully and made no comment unless she was sure of her decision and the choice she made.

"Tell me, what work are you having for yourself?" She asked the lanky suitor. He glared at her and scowled. "I don't need to tell , what work are you having for yourself?" She asked the lanky suitor. He glared at her and scowled. "I don't need to tell _you_ what my work is! And it most certainly is not any of your concern!" All around, the witnesses gasped at the man's rude reaction towards the queen but Lightning's face remained unreadable. "Either you be honest and tell me what your profession is or I will have to believe your companion here and bring you in for my general to question you." It was not threat; just a mere statement of how things would work should he refuse to cooperate.

The suitor's scowl deepened. "You filthy monarchs always think you have the right to be involved! Always sticking your nose in other people's personal matters when it does not concern you!"

"Do you hail from here?" Lightning asked him. If he was not from Bodhum then he most likely would have come from a poorly economical country. If he did hail from Bodhum, then that was a different matter entirely.  
"Of course I hail from here you arrogant cow!" The lanky man screamed in distress. The onlookers frowned and glared at his lack of courtesy towards their beloved ruler, but to their surprise Queen Farron's expression was still as stoic as ever. She crossed her arms and glanced at the suitor's opponent. The farm girl's brother nodded and his eyes were definitely honest.  
Lightning turned her sights back to the suitor. "What is it that makes you scowl upon the monarchy?" The man's glare was fierce, but it was nothing compared to the queen's as it did not give anybody the feeling of a chill.

Still, that fact did not stop his mouth from running its own course, "You sit high upon your throne, looking down upon us of lower peasants with that arrogant show of power while the rest of us slave away to earn a living! Monarchs like _you_ do nothing but hide behind your power to cover your own cowardice!"

By now the citizens of Bodhum were jeering at him and some were close to impaling the man with whatever they had in their hand. However, they dared not move unless the queen has made a decision.

Vanille's eyes widened, not from the man's insults, but from recognition. "Are you…is your father…a spice trader?" She asked. When the suitor's eyes bore into her angrily, Vanille had her answer. She turned to Lightning and tugged on her tunic gently. The young queen nodded, knowing exactly what this meant. "You father's business was shut down for a reason. He was trading illegal spices and to allow such a business to go unpunished would be a crime in itself."  
"Bah! You are only talk! You speak as if you were some god, but you are _not_! You are just some woman who sits on a throne and acts as if she knew how to rule a country. Well this is my opinion; _you cannot rule a country!_ You do not have slightest idea how, nor should you have been crowned!"

By then royal guards who were stationed to watch the market approached. Having heard the last sentence that spilled from the man's lips, the soldiers surrounded him and pointed their blades at his throat.

"Summon General Fang and have her escort him to Bodhum's borders. He should be able to find suitable transportation there." Lightning turned on her heels and began her walk back to the palace. Vanille scampered after her, clutching her basket of food and wine to her chest.  
"Lightning? Are you all right?" Vanille asked, noticing the tense expression on Lightning's face. The monarch said nothing and merely trudged on ahead until they reached the palace gates.

* * *

Lightning let her tunic drop to the floor before she slipped into her floor tub and leaned against the edge. The warm water and floating rose petals calmed her mind and rid her body of any tense knots in her muscles. The queen's sharp blue eyes closed as she allowed herself to drift into a state of serenity. Despite how short she knew the feeling would last, it gave her enough time to think clearly and push out wanted worldly thoughts for the moment.

There was a knock on the door and Vanille peeked inside. "Lightning? I brought a new tunic for you." For a minute she received no response. Finally, Lightning shifted slightly. "Thank you, Vanille." The redhead nodded and carefully closed the door behind her.

Once she was satisfied with how much time she had spent sitting in the tub idly, Lightning rose from the water while some of the rose petals clung to her soaked body. With a small white cloth, she wiped herself dry as and removes the stray petals from her body. She stared at her tunic for a moment then let out a sigh as she dressed herself in the fresh clothing and then returned to her chambers.  
The moment she stepped out of the washroom, she found Fang sitting on her bed. Lightning frowned as she approached the general. "Was there something you needed, Fang?"  
"I came to report about the man from the market. I had him escorted from Bodhum up to the border like you requested, but he put up a fight and would not stop rambling on and on about his rights. Poor ignorant fellow…he thinks the world is all about him. Sad to realize that no matter how much we do for them, there are still those who are nothing but ingrates."  
"Let them say what they want." Lightning brushed off the concern and seated herself at her desk. Fang suddenly smirked. "Although I had to admit I did enjoy sending that churl to his banishment; hid ramblings were so utterly pitiful that it provided me with some entertainment while escorting him." "You have the most twisted humor, General Fang." Lightning mumbled, most of her attention was on another matter rather than on Fang's odd opinion on what she considered entertaining and amusing.

"Come on now, Lightning. Let's take a stroll; some air will do you good." The general suggested, her grin never leaving her face. Lightning rolled her eyes but did as asked and followed Fang out into the halls.

"I heard of what happened in the market. Vanille told me." Fang mentioned as she and the queen strolled through the enormous hallways of the palace. The monarch glanced at the raven-haired soldier carefully. "Did she now?"  
"Yes. She mentioned how that girl in the bakery would not take her eyes off you the whole time you were there in the bakery! Now that was a sight I wished I had witnessed!" Fang laughed and Lightning could swear the corner of her eyes was twitching in annoyance at her general's pointless babble.

"I swear to Etro Fang, one of these days I will look for somebody to replace you and Vanille." Lightning grumbled. Fang waved off her threat casually.

Before either of the women could speak another word, one of the soldiers came rushing towards, them. His eyes seemed full of dread, and perhaps even panic. "Highness! Bandits, in Bodhum!" He yelled urgently.  
In an instant, just as her namesake suggested, Lightning was off. Fang turned to the soldier and he explained to her what had occurred not too long ago.

Lightning placed her fingers in her mouth and blew a shrill whistle. Immediately, Odin was at her side with frantic stable boys chasing after him with his saddle and reins in hand. Lightning dressed Odin in his saddle while one of the stable boys placed the reins on the steed.  
As soon as he was ready, the monarch kicked her steed's sides and Odin galloped towards the palace gates where the frantic guards swiftly opened them.

Lightning could vaguely hear Fang following behind while shouting orders to the soldiers she brought to her side.

In the gardens, Noctis' ears pricked at the sound of raised voices. Curiously, he trotted to the edge of the garden in time to witness the queen riding out of the palace grounds on Odin with several soldiers following behind; a woman wielding a red lance led the soldiers and Noctis assumed this was the general.  
Seeing the guards did not close the palace gates, Noctis' curiosity piqued and the black wolf took his chance and raced towards the gates. The guards jumped in shock and surprise when the wolf's dark form flashed past them. Torn between calling out the other guards to capture him, or to let the queen meet with her new beast companion, the soldiers could only watch as the creature headed into the direction Queen Farron had passed.

_-XIII-_

The streets were in slight disarray as several citizens scrambled into their shops and homes to avoid being attacked by the bandits that had appeared on the streets.  
Lightning glared as she witnessed the ruffians kick over a barrel full of fresh apples. The bandits laughed and grabbed an apple each and immediately bit into them.

Odin neighed loudly, grabbing the cohorts' attention.

The bandits drew out their weapons and pointed them at Lightning and her soldiers. "If ye know what's good fer ye, ye would do well 'ta get out of our way!" One of the bandits threatened. Lightning's face held nothing but a blank expression, while Fang seemed not in the least bit impressed with the bandit's organization.  
"I'm afraid it is _you_ who should be leaving here." The queen said and her steed snorted as if agreeing with his master's words.

The bandits scowled and jeered. "We do what we want!" One of the young bandits dared to throw an apple at Lightning in an attempt to intimidate the officials in their path.  
However, the moment the apple came close to the queen's face; it fell into two halves with Lightning grabbing them with a hand before the apple halves hit the ground. The young queen bit into one half of the apple and tossed the other half into the air for Odin to snatch and gobble for himself. The horse whinnied in satisfaction at the treat he had just received.

In Lightning's right hand was a large silver blade with fine designs up to the hilt.

She finished her apple and, with a flick of her thumb and forefinger, she threw the apple's peduncle into the young bandit's forehead. The sheer force of her flick knocked the young man down entirely, much to the shock of the other bandits.

Noctis witnessed the spectacle from where he stood. It seemed as if Queen Farron had everything in order. The black wolf huffed; there was no point in feeling impressed anyhow.  
His blue eyes moved back and forth from the bandits to Lightning and her entourage. The bandits now seemed offended at the queen's flick of the apple's stalk and they began rushing forward.

Lightning narrowed her eyes; the bandits were clumsy with their movements and can easily be taken over. They made many mistakes, she noticed; they swung their swords around like mindless apes.

She lifted her arm and with a clash of her sword against one of the bandits', she managed to disarm him without any difficulty.  
The soldiers rushed into the fray as well, disarming the bandits, but not harming them. Odin dashed right into the bandits and Lightning swiped their swords out of their hands in one swoop.  
Noctis watched at a distance; so this was how Queen Farron ruled over Bodhum? She joins in with the fray it seems.

To Noctis, in a way it was ridiculous that the queen had to bother with coming all the way down from the palace when she could have simply ordered her guards to rid Bodhum of these bandits.

Noctis' eyes roamed over the guards and their queen as they disarmed every one of the bandits. When he caught sight of the queen's sword, his attention was caught; he had never seen her carry that blade before when he first met her, or when she had been training.  
As soon as that thought ran in his mind, Queen Farron looked in his direction. She seemed rather surprised and dismounted Odin. She flicked her arm to the side and her blade vanished.

The wolf grunted to himself; of course, how could he forget? Those of royal blood had the power of the crystal and their weapons would be a mere summon away.

Lightning approached the wolf. "What are you doing here?" She placed a hand on his muzzle and stroked the fur. Noctis huffed at her.  
His eyes widened and without warning, he leapt over Lightning and landed heavily on one of the bandits had charged at the queen from behind. Lightning whirled around in time to see the wolf land on and snarl at the bandit. She blinked then smirked at the wolf. She pat the beast's back, getting him off the shell-shocked bandit. Once the wolf was off, the bandit scrambled to his companions.

Lightning returned to Odin and mounted his back just as her soldiers had the cohorts herded together like cattle.

"Leave now, and never return here. Should you do so, I will not hesitate to cut one of you down." Lightning said, her voice made the bandits freeze and her tone was deadly serious with her eyes held no sign of going back on her word.  
With defeated growls the bandit pack grabbed their weapons, turned, and swift ran off back to where they had appeared from. Lightning signaled Fang to her side. "Make sure they do leave."  
Fang nodded and called the soldiers over to her as she ran after the bandits.

"As for you, wolf…" Lightning looked at him, "we better bring you back into the gardens."

Noctis made no protest this time and followed behind Lightning and Odin as they headed back. It seems he had witnessed Queen Lightning during one of her finest moments of being queen, though he still wondered why she did not just simply stay back and let the soldiers do their duty.

The moment they returned to the palace, Lightning dismounted and handed Odin to a guard, ordering him to return the stallion back to the stables. The man bowed and did as ordered.  
Lightning stroked the wolf behind the ear. "Come on." She walked to the gardens and the giant wolf moved in pace with her.

Lightning sat on the grass and sighed. "Duties are not easy…" Noctis looked at her, wondering if she was speaking to him.

He sat a few inches away from her and lowered his head in rest. Lightning laid back on the grass and stared up at the sky. The blue color constantly reminded her that other piece in her life; hopefully she will have the chance to see it again.  
Noctis opened his eyes and watched as the queen visibly relaxed for the moment. Whether it was due to exhaustion or the mere feeling of tension, he was not sure. The wolf looked up at the sky and watched as the clouds floated by, once in a while changing their shape to form a figure of any kind.  
As Noctis lowered his head to rest on his paws, he could have sworn one of the clouds formed the shape of a rose.

* * *

**I will end the chapter here for now. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it. So yes, Fang made her way into the story at last. I know you guys really wanted to see her but she had to wait until her right moment. I also enjoyed writing scenes between Lightning and Vanille since in the game they only interacted with each other, perhaps four or five times.**

**I wanted to let you readers know that once in a while in some chapters, I would also like to suggest from time to time a little something for you readers to do; it would add to the effect of the story and help you see more within.**

**Think of it as a little game where you have to go a little in depth. It will make reading more fun. Also, listening to some music that I will suggest in some chapters will help you guys understand the story a bit. But for now I will not be mentioning any songs as of yet since the story will be picking up much later.**

**For those of you who are getting rather pissed at Noctis, let me tell you I feel the same way. I actually despise the state of mind he is in and I most certainly hate little miss blondie; not just in the story but I just despise Stella all in all. So…yeah, I would be willing to break her neck and commit murder if I had to one of these days, to be honest.  
But that is another point; I wish to dish out some punishment on Noctis before I can give him a shot at Lightning but that will have to come later.**

**He will return to his human form but not yet. He does not see any reason to show his true face so he is going to remain as a wolf for the time being.**

**Feel free to ask me any questions if you feel like there is something you missed or do not get in the story or chapter. I will do my best to answer them.  
Well this is where we part ways for now. So please enjoy the story and let me know what you think it would really help me out.**

**Until then…**


	5. Chapter V: Reine

**Disclaimer:**** I have been in a writing mood lately, though I feel tired sometimes due to stress in college especially since some of the professors are quite demanding. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this next part of the story. **

**It is another chapter you know from Chronicles but it is now longer with more details and explanations, and extra moments that Chronicles did not cover.**

**Happy reading to all!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter V: Reine**

"Your Highness? You are working already?"

Queen looked up from the scrolls and papers that littered her large oak table. "I awoke about only an hour ago, do not worry." The servant observed how busy his queen looked that moment. Her study was kept warm thanks to a lit-up fire in the fireplace  
Parchments, scrolls and other papers were scattered around her table along with a quill resting inside its ink pot.

"Would you prefer having your breakfast served here, Highness?"

"… Thank you."

The servant bowed and left the study, closing the door behind him. Lightning turned back to the scroll she had been reading a while ago and sighed; it was a request to expand the farms more due to the farmers needing a slight increase in income.  
The request was easy to grant; Bodhum had more than enough lands to farm in. The queen turned to the large windows behind her and stared at horizon. The sun was still rising as it was not yet in the sky completely.

She had been working nonstop since yesterday; however she could not find it in herself to sleep and merely headed to her study to work for a few minutes before she fell asleep on the chaise in her study.

She did manage to sleep after all, just not in her own chambers. Perhaps being surrounded her books and work helped in relaxing her mind into sleep. It was an odd concept but nonetheless that was how it felt to Queen Farron.  
As she gazed out the window she could tell the day would be cloudy, but if they were lucky it would not rain too heavily. Days like these calmed and soothed the queen's very soul.

Lightning glanced at the leftover work that lay on the table.

She was nearly done with them all. An hour more and she was sure she would be finished. The young queen settled in her chair and picked up the quill, getting to work right away.

Breakfast was served to her in her study along with a cup of warm herbal tea; it smelled more like strawberries though. Lightning chuckled and thanked the servant and he bowed before leaving the young ruler to herself and her work again.  
She ate as she worked, her eyes scanned every word written on the parchments she held in her hands. One after another, before she realized it, she was on her last scroll.

Lightning leaned back and smoothed her bangs back only for it to fall exactly back into place over her eyes. She took her time in finishing her breakfast and sipping her tea before she decided to finally finish her work.

It was said that among all monarchs, Queen Lightning Farron was the only one who was, not only the youngest ruler of her generation, but also the only one who seemed to be able finish her work on the desk before any more could pile up.  
And by the time she had more work on her table, she would have finished the whole pile again.

To Lightning it was nothing; she was merely doing her work as queen, nothing more.

She sighed and stood up and rolled her shoulders, loosening the kinks in them. She heard her shoulder and neck crack and her muscles loosened and relaxed a bit.  
She was done for the day, now would be perfect for her to remain in the library with a good book. The thought made her smile slightly to herself.

A servant came in to take the tray back into the kitchen while Lightning headed to the library.

Reading always made the young queen feel a lot better. It helped her mind relax and drift into endless dreams, taking away any burden she felt.  
It was comforting to leave the world of reality once in a while, though Queen Farron was very much in touch reality.

She entered the library and the sight of gigantic shelves with millions of books greeted her.

Lightning searched the shelves for a specific book until she found the one she felt like reading. She walked over to the windowsill with book in hand and sat down.  
Her eyes stared out of the window, taking in the green of her palace's garden before opening the book to read the pages.

Before long she was very much into the story and her mind was concentrated on every word that was on the page.

* * *

The deer carcass was consumed within a minute or two and Noctis liked his paw clean from the blood of the fresh kill.

His ears perked and he turned his head towards the window. His large blue wolf eyes spotted that familiar form of Queen Farron at the window.  
She was reading again, not a surprise. Still, the large black wolf trotted over until he was standing beneath the window. He stared up for a while, wondering what volume the young monarch was reading this time.

Deciding that he wanted to know, Noctis barked loudly.

The queen lifted her head up and looked down at him from the window. She blinked then closed the book and disappeared from view.  
A minute later, she arrived at his side and greeted him with a scratch behind his ear. The gigantic black wolf nudged her hand and pointed his nose towards the window.

Queen Farron always had a way to understand him despite him being an animal that could not speak in her eyes.

As he expected, she led him into the palace and to the library. The servants jumped whenever the two of them passed by because they feared the large wolf, but they knew their queen enjoyed the animal's company so they said nothing.

Lightning sat at the windowsill and Noctis sat at her side while she picked the book up to continue reading.

He looked over her shoulder and stared at the pages. It seems the queen was fond of reading about myths as well. Whether she believed in them or not, she never mentioned but he knew that she quite liked reading the stories.  
The current volume in the queen's hand was about the War of Transgression. It was a rather tense story to read in Noctis opinion, but Lightning's eyes scanned every sentence.

She glanced at the wolf beside her and reached a hand up to stroke his muzzle.

The beast snorted as if asking her if something was on her mind. She pats his wet nose then turned back to the book in her hands again.  
Noctis tilted his head slightly then let out a yawn; he had hardly slept last night and now it seemed that his tiredness was catching up. He laid his body down on the floor and placed his head on top of his paws.

The young queen stared at him but let him be.

She knew everyone at the palace wondered why she took in such a ferocious and enormous beast back with her. In truth, she was not sure either; something about the animal made her feel tranquil, like she could allow herself to relax and confide in him.

She was not sure if it was because he was an animal and did not speak so what she tells him does not leave his mouth. But perhaps it was because he was something out of the ordinary and it comforted her to know that perhaps she was not the only one who was different from everybody else. Yes, maybe that was why.

But there was also some sort of emotion she would always see in the wolf's eyes. It made her want to comfort the beast, even talk to him.

Lightning shook her head; she found it rather embarrassing whenever she would lose her concentration and fall into a daze. She was known to be focused and always alert. She groaned at herself in disapproval, still not taking her eyes off the pages of the book.  
The wolf was breathing lightly at her feet as he slept soundly. It seems as though the animal had not gotten any rest.

It made Lightning wonder just what a beast would be busy doing if he could not sleep.

She closed the book and stood up to put it away into its shelf then took out a new volume. She sat back on the windowsill; the wolf was still asleep.  
Lightning began the new story, enjoying the silence. She never felt bothered after and while reading and that suited her just fine; it kept her mind occupied and off any stressful thoughts that could press her down with heavy pressure.

A loud boom distracted her and Lightning looked out the window. The wolf jolted away from his nap and followed Lightning's gaze.

The cloudy day grew darker and the rains had begun. Thunder boomed overhead and the queen closed her book. The wolf watched her curiously as she put the book away on the shelf it belonged before leaving the library.

Right away Noctis trotted after her, having nothing else to do.

Lightning headed down into the gardens and watched as the rain fell and drenched the plants, flowers and grass. Noctis caught up to her and stared at the young monarch.  
She was staring at the rain and did not jump when another clap of thunder exploded in their ears. The queen was calm and seemed very at ease with such weather.

To his surprise, Lightning walked forward until she was in the garden and underneath the pouring rain.

She lifted her head and closed her eyes, allowing the cold droplets to shower down on her. Her pinkish strands stuck to her face as they soaked up the rain, her tunic was plastered to her body and her slender but muscular arms had many droplets sliding down her smooth skin.

Noctis moved a little closer and watched her silently.

The queen said nothing and continued to soak in the rain. Her hands closed into fists and she tensed for a second before relaxing her shoulders and opened her fists.  
It had been a while since she walked and stood underneath the rain. Thunder boomed again and a flash of lightning illuminated her, surprising Noctis with the sight it made.

Her hair looked as like it was glowing and her body seemed to glow as well, as if the storm was showering a goddess with its dangerous light.

Curious, Noctis stepped down onto the grass and moved towards the queen. She seemed to enjoy the coldness of the rain and did not shiver in the least.  
Noctis' body shook slightly from the sudden chill of the rain and resisted the urge to shake himself to throw the droplets off his black fur. But if he did so, it might break Lightning out of her trance.

It was strange; she seemed almost ethereal when she stood there.

Noctis shook his head. He did not like thinking this away about other women or any woman for that matter. And yet Queen Farron seemed to provoke these thoughts into his mind by just standing there under the chilling rain.

The servants that passed by stopped to watch their queen for a moment. Some of them looked as if they wanted to call out and tell their queen not to get soak or she may catch a cold. Though they seem to reconsider and just stood by, watching along with the others.

Lightning suddenly lowered her head and turned her head.

The servants—both the men and women—blushed and walked away hurriedly to give their beloved ruler her space. Noctis looked on in amusement when they scurried away then looked at Lightning again.

Her mood seemed to have changed from her peaceful calm to something he could not describe.

Lightning looked at him and then lowered her gaze to the wet grass as the rain continued to shower her already soaked body.  
Noctis blinked. Did he do something wrong? Lightning suddenly moved and walked deeper into the garden.

Not sure what to do, the black wolf followed her.

She was not sure why but she felt the urge to just remain under the rain. It was as if some emotion was pouring into and then out of her at the same time and being in the rain soothed her mind, taking the odd feeling away, albeit for a brief moment.

She heard the patting of the wolf's paws behind and her and she knew he was following her.

Lightning was not sure where she was walking to, only that she needed to move and keep moving until she could no longer feel that odd sensation burning within her chest.  
The wolf trotted behind her still then stopped when she did. The beast stared at her as she sat underneath one of the trees.

The cold droplets dripped down the tips of her hair and Noctis could not help but stare at how the tiny drops hung on the very tip of her bangs before it dripped down to the grass. Lightning stared up at the cloudy sky then exhaled deeply as she ran a hand through her soaked hair.

The wolf snorted in question as he placed himself beside the queen.

"It's nothing. Don't concern yourself over it." She said, stroking his wet fur slowly. Noctis' ear twitched, indicating he felt that there was more to it than that.  
She shook her head at him. "You're too smart for your own good wolf. I didn't think a wolf would actually be concerned over a human's problem."

Noctis was no real wolf, but he did wonder why he even cared or bothered.

Queen Farron's affairs were none of his concern, so why bother himself with her troubles? Perhaps it was because he felt obligated to be at her side since she came to his aid during their first meeting. He supposed it was only natural.  
The wolf huffed and plopped down on the grass. Lightning snorted at him and looked at the sky once more.

_-XIII-_

Plates were shattered along with several of the chairs. Dodging had not been difficult, but with the way he was acting, she knew it would be inevitable if he decided to attack her himself instead of throwing objects.

"You are making this harder on both of us!" She scolded, keeping herself ready in case of an attack. He snarled at her and threw his bottle of wine at her. She moved away swiftly and the bottle shattered loudly against the wall.  
"If you were not here right now our daughter could have been saved! But no, you let her die! You wanted her to die, didn't you?" His voice was somewhat slurred but she knew he was beyond raged, but has been three years now. She wanted both of them to recover, but instead he had to make it difficult.

He kept glaring at her, his fist clenched tightly and his breath smelled faintly of wine.

"Stop this nonsense! That was years ago! I wished I had protected her, but I wish to learn to go on living as well! Why must you insist on reminding me about my failure?" She yelled at him, her eyes turned cold and solid but he was no moved.  
Instead he moved closer to her and connected his fist to her face. She spat and blood fell from her mouth but she stood once more.

Once again he punched her but she stood again and stared at him. "Why must you be like this? What happened to you?"

He snarled and hit his fist against the table. "I lost my daughter because you allowed her to die! But no matter… You have been useless from the start and my mistress can easily appease me, unlike you." He spat angrily. She held in her emotions, just like her years of training had taught her. But this was her husband; it was difficult not to feel pain from his harsh words.

"I suppose I was nothing more than some breeding animal to you, wasn't I?"

"Bah! You don't seem capable of having another child even if you wished to! You are worthless!"

"Perhaps. But at least I do not drown in my sorrows like you, like a pig."

"What did you say to me, woman!"

"I am tired of your rage! You know it will change nothing! Be unfaithful to me, harm me, and kill me! It will not bring our child back, nor will it bring you any peace." She said firmly, keeping her eyes steadily on him.  
He laughed suddenly, almost unsettling her to the core. This was not a laugh she was familiar with; it was not the warm loving sound she heard those years ago. No. It was cold, dark, and sadistic, not at all like him. How could this man, someone she knew for so long now, become such a monster within a blink of an eye?

"Well? Do you not intend on striking back at me?" The man was provoking her, she knew. But she would not, could not give in to the anger she felt for him. And she most certainly will not lower herself to the level he had stooped down to.

"No. I will not." She stood firmly. She would not become like him, she did not want him to be the way he is either. If only, she wished, there was a way to get through to him. She was tired of this dirty wastrel of a man, she missed her husband and the man he had been before.  
She noticed him approaching her with murderous intent in his eyes but she still refused to budge or hit him back. She had her knife hidden beneath her tunic but she would not point it at him.

He grabbed her by the throat. "You are such a waste of breath!" He pulled his arm back for another blow and she did not bother to move.

For how long had be struck her down, and for how long did she stand up once more to take another blow? She could barely keep count any longer. She kept holding on to whatever strength she had left as she took the pain all in while trying not to flinch or cry.  
She had been trained not to cry in her previous years. But it has been so long since she last fought a good fight. Did she still recall any of her training?  
Perhaps she did because she was still not crying as far as she could tell. The pain was still unbearable, however, and her husband's fist was now stained with specks of her blood. He seemed enraged when she refused to respond and fight back. She only stood up to glare and take another hit.

He huffed and walked out of their home, slamming the door behind him.

Yes, this was how it will always be from now on. No matter how many times she attempted to fix the gaping hole between them, he could always respond like a demon angered for no apparent reason. True, she did blame herself for the loss of their unborn daughter, and she loved her still, but she wanted to move forward as well; it would have been what their daughter wanted.

She limped out of their home and headed off into the market, ignoring the curious and worried stares she received from the passersby.

She stopped by an alley. She did not need to look inside to know if he was there or not. He was most _definitely_ there. Still, she had to take a look.  
She moved into the dirtied corners, knowing full well what was hidden behind its dark creases. A brothel hid itself in this very alleyway. Queen Farron's reign brought about the banning of such places like brothels, and it was because of Bodhum's rise in prosperity and riches. Everybody had honest work and can easily find work to earn for themselves.  
But at times there were still several who disliked working out in the fields or markets and instead preferred to remain as an escort from a brothel.

She crept inside and right away she found him. She shut her eyes and looked away from him as he had intercourse with one of the whores. She clenched her fist until her palm bled; but she felt none of the pain except for the one inside her mind and in her chest.

She walked away undetected and began to wander the streets of Bodhum.

People would watch her, wondering how she might have gotten so battered. She dared not stop and talk to anybody, lest she break down and sob in front of everybody. No. She refused.  
She was not sure where she was going anymore. She only went wherever her feet took her and she was not stopping any time soon.  
She continued to walk aimlessly for Etro knows how long. Her body soon grew tired, her wounds started to sting, a pain she had been ignoring for a while. Now that she was alone, heading to nowhere at all with no distractions, the pain made itself known to her.

Her senses seemed to have dulled and weakened. Her wounds were not terrible; they were merely wounds from abuse and nothing more. Yet she felt herself tumbling into a world of oblivion and exhaustion. She stopped, fell to her knees and lifted her head.  
Before her she could faintly see grand iron gates. Whether Etro had come for her, or perhaps she was hallucinating, she was not certain, nor did she care anymore. She closed her eyes and her body fell.

_-XIII-_

"… It feels strange."

The wolf lifted his head to look at her. Lightning shook her head, obviously still feeling slightly awkward with confiding in a wolf. "At times…I feel as if I need to keep moving, whether mentally or physically. I feel that if don't run, I may fall and get swallowed by darkness… Luckily for me this feeling is rare and not constant but…when it does come for me, it attacks with full force." Lightning clenched one of her hands into a fist and stared at it thoughtfully.

Noctis' ears lowered in slight sympathy for his companion. He had felt like that a few times, though Lightning did not mention any reason why such an emotion would come at her. It was odd but he let it slide.

Lightning began stroking the wolf's fur with surprising gentleness. The two remained under the rain in the garden for a few moments until a servant came rushing over, his face bearing an urgent expression. "My queen!"  
Lightning immediately stood up and faced the man. "What is it?" "Majesty…the guards have found an injured citizen at the gates. I had called for a healer already but the woman looks close to dead. The healer request she be brought in the palace." The servant explained, losing his breath after speaking so quickly.

The young queen nodded to him. "Lead me there."

Noctis stood up and followed Lightning for a while before stopping at the entrance to the garden. He watched as the youthful monarch followed the servant to where this injured woman was said to be. With a huff, the wolf turned away and trotted back to where he resided in the large garden.

Lightning walked alongside the soldier until he led her to the palace gates.

She saw it; two of the guards were carefully bringing in a battered woman from the outside. Lightning approached and the guards immediately explained what they had witnessed.  
It appeared to be a fight based on the woman's wounds but Lightning caught sight of a knife in the woman's tunic; if it had been a fight, the knife would have been put to use if this woman knew how to use it.

Upon closer inspection was Lightning able to conclude that, indeed, this stranger knew how to wield a knife. "Take her into the palace and call a healer." Lightning ordered and the men obeyed right away.

* * *

"It seems as though she had been battered by more than one person, Majesty." The healer explained as he examined the unconscious Bodhum woman who lay on the bed in one of the palace's guest rooms.

Lightning stood there with her arms crossed, observing the woman that she allowed into her territory. The sight had been rather shocking; the woman's lower lip had a small cut and her face was bruised horrible. Her body was obviously beaten into oblivion.  
When the woman stirred, Lightning remained silent while the healer spoke to the injured female in a hushed voice.

Upon learning where she was, the woman looked up at Lightning and her face became red.

When she tried to make an effort to get up and bow, Lightning stopped and gently pushed her down on the bed. "Speak freely." The young queen said, her deep voice sent shivers down the woman's back at how noble yet lovely the queen's voice sounded; she had never heard or seen the queen before, and what she saw before her eyes was quite a pleasant surprise.

She had heard that the queen was young, but nobody had said she was _this_ young.

"Majes…ty…" She stammered, not sure how to begin. Queen Farron stood there, patiently waiting for her to regain her wits.  
When the woman had calmed down somewhat, she swallowed hard. "I…I did not mean to intrude upon your palace, my queen…"

Lightning waved her concern off. "It would be best if you explained how you stumbled here."

"I…it's nothing to be concerned with. I was only…having a disagreement with my husband." The woman admitted, flustered. Lightning raised an eyebrow. "You're husband was the one who did this…?" The woman quickly shook her head. "My queen! Please do not bother yourself with this! When I…recover I will leave and confront him myself."

"… You have skill with a knife I see."

"I…how did you…know, Majesty?"

"Your arms. I can tell you have swung a knife around a lot in training and self-defense. You also carry a knife on your side."

"Yes… My father taught me how to defend myself before he passed."

"But you couldn't point the knife at your husband."

"How could I? I merely wanted to talk to him about everything and yet he just—"

The woman stopped and bowed her head, ashamed for the disrespectful act in front of the queen. Lightning walked to the window and stared outside. "… He attacked you because…?"  
"He was not always like this…but…our daughter…she was not even born yet and then… My husband became angry…he killed the ones responsible and then…he changed. It was as if some sort of evil clouded his mind."

Lightning kept her eyes on the view outside. "Go on."

"… After that he started living his life like some demon prince; he would stay out late at night and drink—something my husband never does—then he would…go to the brothels and…and then one night in front of me he ravished a woman…" The injured woman started shaking when her mind recalled the traumatizing and heartbreaking deeds her husband had done behind her back and in front of her.

Queen Farron said nothing but the healer spoke up. "A brothel in Bodhum? That is disgraceful! Bodhum is already a lush and rich land so there is no need for brothels! Why have we never heard of this?"

"… An underground operation." Lightning said suddenly. "Majesty?" The healer questioned. Lightning placed a hand on her hip. "The reason none of you heard of the brothel here is because it is not a legal one; it had not been approved or permitted to open publically so it was made into an underground operation. This morning in my study while working I came across a document explaining that it was urgent to find this brothel and dismantle its business."

The woman nodded. "Yes, I knew that as well my queen. My husband became a regular there. And since he is still young and…lovely to behold, he became…well known among the women there…" The beaten wife was clearly brokenhearted by this fact. But she also clearly loved her husband still.

Lightning turned away from the window and headed for the door. "Now then… I have already agreed to dismantle the brothel. Now seems like a good time to begin." Her tone was serious but casual as well.

The woman watched the queen, wondering what the monarch meant. Lightning opened the door and as she stepped outside she said, "Help her get cleaned up and provide with a clean tunic." She left the room after that.  
The healer blinked then turned to the only servant in the room who had been standing there silently the whole time. The healer nodded and the servant moved off to do the queen's bidding.

Lightning headed off to her chambers to change into a clean tunic herself as her current one had been soaked in the rain not too long ago.

To her surprise, the black wolf sat in the middle of the hall, staring at her chamber's door. He must have thought she was inside.  
She approached the beast and stroked the side of his neck, surprising him slightly. The animal barked at her and Lightning opened her door to let him inside.

The wolf padded over to the foot of the bed and yawned before plopping down.

Lightning walked into the washroom to bathe in her rose bath. The wolf seemed to notice the moment he found her opening the door to the washroom.  
He stood up and follows; he wanted another chance to jump into the water and splash around again. The moment Lightning was inside he dashed inside before she closed the door.

The young queen started at him blankly as he ran for the large floor tub and leapt into the water, sending a large splash of water and rose petals her way and around the rest of the washroom.

As the black wolf frolicked in the water, the young queen undressed herself before stepping into the water and settling down for the warm rose petal-filled water to soak and clean her thoroughly.  
This time the wolf kept a decent distance from her instead of trying to coax her into playing with him in the water. It was odd since he seemed playful the first time.

She thought nothing of it and lifted her hand from the water, bringing a red petal up in her palm as the water slipped from her fingers.

Noctis stared at the queen; she seemed at peace but he kept a fair distance from her now. He could not stand it if he was close to a naked woman who was not… He stopped himself from thinking of her name and merely continued to splash in the large pool of warm water.

Only after a minute or two, Lightning got up stepped out of the bath. Noctis looked away from her bare from and just barely got a glimpse of her back as she stepped out to dry herself with a large towel from the rack.

The queen returned to her room and dressed herself in a fresh tunic that was perfect for outside.

The wolf emerged from the washroom and shook himself dry, sending droplets and rose petals around the room. Lightning sighed and pat his head before leaving him there to attend to business. Noctis watched her oddly then went after her.

The young queen noticed him at her heels but said nothing to make him stay behind.

As she headed for the front gate, she encountered the woman who was now cleaned and healed from the worst of her injuries.  
Upon seeing the black wolf she tensed but Lightning shook her head. "He's my guest. Don't worry, he won't harm you." The woman relaxed somewhat and Noctis looked at the stranger curiously. She had obviously been beaten; what was Lightning up to now?

A stable boy approached the small group with Odin in tow. He bowed politely and handed Lightning the reins. "Your horse, my queen." Lightning nodded in thanks and the boy walked off.

Lightning mounted Odin and the horse neighed in greeting to his master. She gestured at the spot behind her. "Get on." The woman's eyes widened. Her? Ride with _Queen Lightning Farron_? It almost seemed too good to be true. Noctis snorted at the woman's obvious shock at the opportunity to ride with the queen of Bodhum herself.

Lightning reached down to grab the woman's hand and lifted her up onto the saddle, sitting the woman behind her. Noctis stared; the queen seemed to be a complete tomboy. Very much unlike—

"Majesty!" Several guards came over, announcing their aid to the queen. Lightning nodded at them and pulled on Odin's reins. The black horse lifted his head and turned the other way, his pure white mane fluttering in the wind.  
Intrigued, Noctis moved to stand beside Odin, much to the royal steed's dismay; he clearly disliked the black wolf that had gotten his master's curiosity and attention. Lightning looked at the wolf but did not seem to mind. The guards tried not to show their nervousness around the animal.

"Come." Lightning moved out under the rain and the guards followed her, along with the large black wolf.

The woman blushed at the queen's strong back as she rode into the town. "Do you know where your husband goes?" The queen's question snapped her out of her daze. "I…pardon?" She mentally slapped herself for stumbling before the queen.  
Lightning paid it no heed. "Your husband. Do you know where he goes to drink and to get a woman?" The beaten wife nodded and pointed ahead of her. Lightning understood and followed her direction.

The citizens of Bodhum immediately stopped their activities to bow down and greet the young queen as she and her escorts passed by. Noctis was impressed with how much respect the very young monarch had gained from her people and practically her entire country.

Also it seems that Lightning was somehow assisting the woman as well as heading out to complete her own goals. Whatever it was for today.

Odin came to a stop and so did the guards. Noctis stared at the scene for a moment, simply observing the ongoings.  
Lightning held her steed steady and the woman behind her shook a bit with what looked like regret and sadness. The young queen narrowed her eyes as a rather handsome man walked out from behind an alleyway with a woman on his arm.

Noctis' eyes widened in understanding. He knew Bodhum, with its rich and prosper lands, did not have brothels. But the sight before him could only mean that there was a hidden brothel in operation and the queen would need to dismantle the entire seedy business.

The man stopped and stared at the sight before him. Indeed, with his devilishly handsome face and with the way he seemed to hold an arrogant air and with a whore on his arm, he very much looked like a demon prince who came to break every law in the country.

"What do you want?" The man growled. He was obviously not in the mood to be disrupted while in the middle of bringing a woman home. The woman behind Lightning jumped off Odin and limped over, glaring at her husband cautiously.

He sighed. "Oh…it's you. Why aren't you home?" He seemed annoyed with her. "You were responsible for that, remember?" She said. The royal guards remained silent along with their queen.

"I'm here to settle this, finally."

"Please, you could not even protect my unborn daughter! You think you can handle _me_?"

"This is not like you. And you know it!"

"You're right, this isn't like me; it's _better_!"

"Bastard…!"

The husband shoved the whore away and she ran back into the alley. Lightning snapped her fingers and three of the royal guards rushed in after her.  
The man snarled in irritation at his wife and glared at her. "So now you bring friends to help you end this? You're weak. You have always been weak! It's no wonder our daughter did not survive!" "I did my damn best! _You_ were the one who changed for the worst!" The wife yelled back.

"Bah! You cannot even draw your knife at me!"

The woman moved her hand to her side shakily, drawing out her knife. Her husband scoffed at what he deems as a pitiful display in his eyes. "You don't have the guts. You may have been a female vigilante in the past but now you are nothing but a _woman_. I really should introduce you to my mistress. Unlike you she knows how to use those legs of hers in the bed." His smirked cruelly.

Noctis grimaced at the man's vulgar words.

The wife charged and swiped at him expertly, demonstrating her skill with the knife. Her husband sidestepped her and frowned. "Pitiful. You're not even trying."  
"… What happened to you? Why are you like this?" She asked, gritting her teeth angrily. The man shrugged. "Being…cruel makes me so happy. Everything is at my feet, and I could choose any woman to bed me."

Odin and Noctis snorted in disgust. Lightning watched on carefully.

The woman huffed and withdrew her knife. "… Unlike you, I won't lower myself to such a level." Her angry, arrogant husband glared at her. "Fight me if you want, you bitch!" The wife did not budge and merely looked away from him with a stern expression on her face.  
The man scowled in disgust at what he felt was her cowardice. When his wife made no move, he frowned and tackled her.

She pushed him off and got up. He punched her in the face but she wiped the blood off her face. "Strike me down if you want. It won't change anything…" She said ruefully. The man charged at her again and the former woman vigilante stood still, waiting for another blow.

It never came.

She looked at her husband and gaped in shock. Queen Farron stood there, holding the man's fist in her hand, preventing his punch to make contact.  
The man glared at the queen. "Out of the way you disgusting monarch!" Lightning said nothing and stared at him silently.  
The man then drew out his own knife with his free hand and made a move to stab the queen.

Lightning's eyes caught the glint of the blade lifted her other hand, catching the blade and stopping it in its tracks.

The guards left with her gasped in shock and horror. Their queen was holding the man's fist on one hand and in the other, she held onto the blade of his knife. Her hand was bleeding now but her expression remained the same.

Noctis snarled at the man then barked at Lightning, asking for a sign that she was fine. She grunted in response and pushed the man back, ignoring the fact that the knife's blade was digging into her palm even more.

To everyone's surprise, Lightning's strength surpasses the angry husband's and she manages to push him down to his knees. The man was too stubborn and puts more effort into his shove, but the queen proved physically stronger. _"How is this possible?!"_

Finally, Lightning shoved him back and he felt on his backside. Before he could stand a silver blade was pointed at the tip of his nose.  
Queen Lightning had her blade pointed at him, her expression now firm and serious. "I don't know why you enjoy taking your anger on your wife. But as far as I can see, you should be glad that you still have your wife with you. Isn't that better than having no one?"

The man spat at Lightning's feet, much to the anger and horrific shock of the royal guards at such disrespect to their queen.

Noctis snarled slightly but noticed that Lightning was more concerned with getting the message into the man's thick skull. Odin snorted and pawed his hoof against the hard road they stood on. The horse was very much concerned of his loyal master's wellbeing, and the knife had cut deep into her bleeding hand.

"You can always try for another child. Wouldn't that be best instead of running outside and leaving your wife alone so that you can bed whores and drink pints every night?" Lightning's tone was that of a true queen and somebody who must be wise beyond her years.  
The man snarled at her. "Why must I listen to you? Do you know what they call you behind your back, _Highness_? They call you a heartless monarch, even a demon. You show no emotion when facing an opponent…" The man chuckled darkly, "they even say that your face bears no expression, that a statue may have more emotion than you. You are made of ice they say. A queen cursed with no heart." He laughed at her despite the sword pointed at him.

The guards were no outraged by this. "How dare you!" "You scum! You dare insult the queen!"

Lightning took her blade away from the man's face and placed it against her shoulder, staring at the alleyway where the rest of her guards had dashed off; the sound of women screaming in protest can now be heard. She mentioned to the guards left behind. "Go assist them. The brothel is no more."

Her guards obeyed reluctantly and moved off as ordered.

The young queen dismissed her blade and turned her attention back to the man at her feet. "I care not for what others say. But know this; harming your own family for no apparent reason and not reporting the brothel is enough reason for me to bring you into the dungeons. However, I am not here to pass judgment. Your wife wanted to come home to you so I brought her back. Still, you will be sent into a cell indefinitely for your violence against her. Bodhum is a peaceful country so I will not tolerate such reckless and violent behavior if there is no good reason behind such actions."

The man spat on her boots this time. Odin seemed offended by this and reared while neighing loudly. His hooves thundered against the road.

Soon every brothel girl and the men owning the brothel were brought out by the royal guards. The men and women of the brothel glared at Lightning as they passed by her, escorted by the royal guards. "Also, Bodhum is rich and prosperous enough; there is no need for such underground places like the brothels. If you wish to earn your own, work an honest day with honest work." The young queen said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Noctis watched her with impressed blue wolf eyes. For someone so young and yet she acted like a queen that was past her prime.

Lightning sighed and signaled one of the guards to her then nodded at the angry husband. "Take him away." The guard was more than willing to do so.  
Queen Farron turned to the wife and placed her uninjured hand on her shoulder. "He won't be tried. We will just keep him there until he clears his mind completely. During that time, you have permission to visit him as much as you wish."

The woman released the breath she did not know she had been holding until she exhaled and looked to the queen with shamed eyes.

"Your Highness, your hand is wounded; you need to treat it right away!" One of the guards said, his eyed glued to the queen's hand; her blood ran down her harm and dripped onto the ground. She waved off his concern. "I will treat it once we return." She cleared her throat and the guard tensed.

Lightning walked over to Odin and mounted his back and the steed lifted his head proudly.

"Majesty…" Lightning glanced over her shoulder at the former vigilante wife. The woman bowed her head. "… Thank you. But…you did not have to bother with my burdens. They were mine alone." "And they still are. You just need to know how to face them. In time, I am sure you will conquer it. And if you wish to hone your skills, you are welcome to the training grounds. I am sure you would need an activity to calm your mind." Lightning said and pulled on the reins. Odin began walking back to the palace.

The woman watched as the queen left and she finally allowed herself to cry. She felt relief, happiness, sorrow, everything. Her husband was safe from being tried but now she was not sure if she can help bring him back to how he was.  
He hurt her in more ways than one, yes. But nonetheless, she loved him. He was, after all, the only man who saw past her walls when she still worked as a vigilante. He had been the first man to love her. Did she still deserve such a thing?

A queen cursed with no heart, he had called Queen Farron. Apparently, all those things said about the young queen were untrue.

* * *

Lightning brought Odin back to the stables and stroked his muzzle before she left him in the care of the stable boy. He black wolf was waiting for her when she got out.

Noctis stared at her bleeding hand and before he realized what he was doing, he approached her and licked the wound clean.  
Lightning stared at him silently, surprised at the beast's actions. Her piercing blue eyes watched him as he clean off her wound with an animal's care.

Suddenly, the wolf jumped back and turned away. Lightning raised an eyebrow then sighed in defeat. She walked past the wolf and ruffled his fur with her good hand before leaving to return inside the palace. The wolf remained in place.  
Noctis snarled; what had he been thinking? Why did he do that? He never touched any other woman's body, even their hand, nor did he intend to. He felt his self-pity rise up in his chest again and memories began flowing in his mind once more.

He shook his head, trying to clear them off. Still he hated how Queen Farron had impressed him. One day he would have to leave this place, and its queen for good.

Lightning soaked dabbed a clean cloths soaked in healing potion on her wound. She hissed at the bad sting but kept disinfecting the large gash.

Once it was cleaned, she grabbed the bandages she placed close by and wrapped up her wound. She carefully open and closed her injured hand, testing it for any movements that might make it painful for her. So far, so good.

* * *

She stood up from her bed and rolled her neck and it cracked a bit.

Lightning glanced at the booked titled _Fabula Nova Crystallis_. It was the only book she kept in her room with her; it was her childhood favorite.  
She placed a hand on the book and looked towards the window; the rain had lessened but it was still cloudy outside.

"No heart… Huh."

Her musings were brought to an end when a servant peered into her room. "Highness? There is someone who wishes to see you. Your guest is awaiting your arrival in the stables."  
Lightning raised an eyebrow and dismissed the servant. She sighed and inspected her wounded hand once more before leaving her chambers and walked to the stables.

When she arrived and was greeted with the sounds of chocobos squawking and kwehing. The queen looked around until she spotted someone standing in front of Odin's stall.  
Lightning moved towards the end of the stables and stopped dead. She stared as the visitor stroked Odin's nose gently, earning an appreciative snort from the horse. "There now… I hope you have been taking care of Lightning now. Have you?" The visitor said with a smile and Odin neighed.

Feeling somebody was watching, the visitor turned and was faced with Queen Lightning's stormy eyes. The queen looked astonished as she stared at the young woman dressed in a lovely pink-and-white dress. The lady smiled at the young monarch. "It has been a long time, Sister."

"Serah…"

* * *

**It ends here for now.**

**I am sure you are all familiar with this chapter from Chronicles. I assume some might have thought that the bandit attack on Bodhum in the previous chapter was meant to replace the brothel incident. Well, no it did not. I wanted to make a new chapter for you guys since I know you are already familiar with them all.**

**However, this chapter as you know is the last Lonely Queen chapter that had been uploaded in Chronicles, which means that this is the last familiar page and from here on the story will be picking up now. Also I am aware of Noctis' kingdom not having a name but I appreciate the reminder but Nifleheim was too good of a name to pass up and so far it is the only name we fans can go by so far even though he know it is not Noctis' kingdom.**

**Here is also a little extra information: The title of this chapter in Chronicles is "Queen". The title of this chapter in Sanctuaire is still the same but instead it was translated into French "Reine" which means queen.**

**I want to thank all of you again for reading this story and appreciating the works. I try to find time for writing when I am not busy with assignments or when my laziness is not striking at me. Hopefully I will get the next page done soon but as of now I think I will take a short break for a bit, perhaps a day or two, and write the next page for Chronicles.**

**I feel like there is a chapter I am neglecting so I will have it up as soon as I can.**

**Feel free to ask any questions should you feel confused or wish to understand something about the story a bit better and I will answer them as best as I can if it is a question I can answer without spoiling the story for you guys.**

**Until then…**


	6. Chapter VI: Soeur

**Disclaimer: ****Hello fellow Lightis, fellow writers, and readers! Welcome back to more Sanctuiare! It has been a while since I wrote anything and I missed it! I missed you, did you miss me?**

**Haha! Well, joking aside, I have been really busy and a lot has been going on but lately I want nothing more than to relax and just read and write. It helps me lay off some steam and get my imagination running.**

**Anyway, without further ado, here is the next chapter of Sanctuaire.**

**Happy reading to all!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter VI: Soeur**

"Why are you here?"

"You are disappointed to see me, Lightning?"

"No, not at all. I did not expect you to come here yourself… You could have written me again instead."

Serah shook her head and smiled, taking her sister's hands in hers. "I felt that it was more appropriate to visit instead; I have not been home for a long time. How has the country fared?" Lightning allowed herself a small smile and allowed Serah to pull her out of the stable and into the garden. "I missed the gardens…I see you have been taking care of it." Lightning nodded. "It was the most important part of the palace to Mother. It's only right that I have the gardens maintained."

"You did well Sister. And Bodhum itself?" Serah asked as she placed her hand on Lightning's arm when she offered her elbow. "So far, the country fares well." Lightning said, staring upwards at the sky. Serah smiled; her sister had not changed a bit.  
Lightning was still very much he woman she grew up with all her life, but at the same time Serah could feel her grow stronger and wiser. "You have indeed grown stronger…" She murmured, feeling the hard muscle of her sister's arm through the sleeve of Lightning's tunic.

Lightning looked at her sister, surprise shone in her eyes for a brief moment.

Serah giggled. "Ah, don't listen to me. I am just rambling again." "I think it is best if you settle down inside first. Did you bring anything along?" Lightning escorted Serah back inside the palace and towards the sleeping chambers.  
"I had the servants bring my belongings into one of the guest rooms, not to worry." "Why sleep in a guest's quarters? You may stay in mine." Lightning offered as Serah let go of her arm to lead her to the room her belongings were placed.

Serah sat on the bed and smiled. "I do not mind, really. The guest's room is as pleasant as the queen's chambers." The queen shook her head. "I insist. I hardly stay there to begin with since there is much work I need to attend to."  
"Sister…are you not resting yourself?" Serah stared right at Lightning, her eyes stern yet concerned. "I am fine Serah, there is no need to worry; I do rest myself when I need it most." Lightning said dismissively but her sister shook her head disapprovingly. "No Lightning. You must rest more often; your duties can wait for an hour or two and you work hard enough as it is. The people know this."

"Enough Serah. I am perfectly fine."

"Are you really?"

"Look at me. I am standing before you."

Serah lowered her head. "I am only concerned for you, Lightning. I have not seen you for two years and yet it felt as it were longer than that." "I understand. But please, don't worry yourself. You are a guest here… No, you are my sister; this country is still very much yours as it is mine. The people will follow you like they would me. Just enjoy your stay here and let me do the work."  
Still as hardworking and selfless as ever, Serah thought. This was indeed her sister Lightning, always pushing herself beyond her limit no matter how tired she may become; it was very a big concern for the younger monarch whenever Lightning would do something foolhardy.

"I will enjoy only if you swear to me that you will not work yourself to oblivion. I know you, Sister." Serah said, her tone very much said everything. The queen pinched the bridge of her nose then sighed in defeat, "Very well, I promise. You have my word." Her younger sister gazed into her eyes for a long moment, almost gazing into Lightning's very soul. When Serah let her gaze drop, she nodded at Lightning. Her sister kept her word, always. That much Serah knew.

Lightning moved to the window in the room and stared out. "I will have your belongings transferred into my chambers; you will stay there. I will also have Vanille tend to you now." Serah raised an eyebrow. "And what about you?" "I can bathe and dress myself just fine, Serah. I can live for however long you are staying without a handmaiden."

"Still such a stubborn goat I see." Serah said with a giggle. The queen of Bodhum rolled her eyes skyward. "I should have known you are still the same little child from long ago." "I am no longer a child!" Serah protested.  
Lightning, ever the monarch and politician smirked at her sibling. "And tell me, Serah… How old are you now? If I remember correctly you were merely sixteen when you were wed to Villiers; that was two years ago. And now you are eighteen. True, at that age you are considered a woman but you are still very much young and I am still and always will be your senior. I do age as well after all, as all humans do."

Serah stared at Lightning in disbelief. "Must you be a politician, even during simple moments such as this?" "It keeps me in good practice." Lightning admitted and shrugged. "You can never be sure when a fool tries to use his silver tongue to escape the consequence of his actions. As long as I keep my mind sharp I can corner him with words just as easily as I can corner my enemies with my blade." "You are most definitely speaking like a politician…" Serah lips formed a pout.

Lightning placed a hand on her sister's head. "I apologize; it is a habit I formed but one that I need."

Before Serah could respond, Vanille peeked inside the chamber. Her everlasting smile was plastered on her lips as always. "I hear we have a special guest!"  
Lightning nodded at her. "Yes. Vanille, please tend to Serah during her stay here. I am sure you both have much catching up to do." Lightning turned on her heels and headed towards the door. Serah jumped up from the bed. "Sister?"

"I have much work to attend to, Serah. Please enjoy yourself, I will return to you shortly." The queen left the room and the two women to themselves.

Vanille grinned at Bodhum's youngest heiress. "I have missed you Serah! It has been a long time, hasn't it?" "Two years, but yes. It does feel much longer than that I can assure you." Serah held Vanille's hands in hers, reuniting with a longtime friend after what felt like an eternity.  
"How is Snow? Is he faring well?" The red head asked, her tone almost teasing. Serah's face burned but she nodded. "He is well. I told him I wanted to visit my sister; he wanted to come along but duty has him bound to the palace at the moment." "Ah. But I think it's for the best. I am sure Lightning might not enjoy it if he stayed here as well." Vanille and Serah laughed at how true that statement was. Although Lightning had come to approve of Lord Snow Villiers, she still held the part of her that resented him for whatever reasons only she knew.

This reminded Serah. "Vanille. How has my sister been? I hope she at least tried to look after herself." The handmaiden sat down on the bed and Serah joined her. "Well, I suppose she has been trying. She has received a few cuts but nothing serious I assure you!" Vanille said before Serah could opened her mouth to utter a protest.  
"Bandits have attacked Bodhum the other day but Lightning had not been touched during the fray. Fang told me so." "Then where did she get her cut?" Serah wondered; if Lightning had been unscathed during the—shocking to Serah—bandit attack, then how in the world did she cut herself? Vanille swung her legs back and forth over the edge of the bed. "A man was about to strike his wife but Lightning stopped his blow; I suppose it made him even more furious so he decided to end her. But she grabbed the blade of his knife before he could do so." Vanille admitted, remembering the soldiers' stories and seeing Lightning's cut for herself after the queen had walked past her in the halls.

Serah thought carefully then mentally berated herself. How could she have missed it? Lightning's hand had been wrapped in bandages but Serah had been too excited to see her sister again to fully notice it. "I feel foolish… I should have looked carefully." Vanille shook her head. "Not to worry; it's understandable since what mattered the most was seeing her again." Serah huffed. "I still intend to speak to her about this. The wrappings looked clean. Did she change them?" "Unfortunately…the wound is actually fresh. She only received it today."

"The incident with the man that you mentioned…?"

"Yes, it happened not too long ago before you arrived."

"Then I _most definitely_ have to speak to her."

Vanille stood up and brought Serah along with her. "You may do that later. For now why not meet everyone else? I am sure Fang would be happy to see you again!"  
Serah could not deny that she did indeed miss everybody in the palace. She nodded in agreement and was pulled along down the hallways by Vanille.

They first stopped by Lightning's chambers and left Serah's belongings there. After, Vanille and Serah continued on their merry way.

"How long will my sister remain occupied?" Serah wondered. The handmaiden looked at her with a smile. "Not to worry; she had already dealt with the most difficult work. It is only parchments and scrolls she will be dealing with."  
The two women laughed and talked while they journeyed around the palaces many halls and rooms. Serah remembered them all too well and it felt good to be able to see it all once again. How she missed her home; she could still recall the time she ran down these very halls as a little girl, with her older sister chasing after her.

During Lightning's last days as a princess, Serah would spend as much time as she could with her sister since Lightning had to start attending to her training and lessons more often. Serah had only been twelve years of age when Lightning had been crowned. Lightning was merely a girl of fifteen when she became queen of all Bodhum.

It was a heavy burden to place on the shoulders of a young girl who has not even reached the age of eighteen. Nonetheless, Lightning trained and studied until the day she was crowned and proved herself to be an efficient queen.

Serah missed the days when Lightning would smile and laugh and play like any girl did. But she knew Lightning was no longer a girl. No. She was a woman of twenty-one years; a woman of courage, elegance, power, and authority.  
The people of Bodhum loved her and men from nearly all nations wished for her hand in holy matrimony. Lightning refused every man who dared go on one knee and offered her his hand; she had been too young still when noble men came to her and until this very day Lightning rejected any suggestion of marriage.

But Serah knew the council would have pressured her into considering the idea of marriage for the sake of having an heir.

The notion was disgusting to Lightning. She refused to marry a man, noble or not, for the sole sake of breeding. Her parents had raised her with the right mind, to be noble and humble those lessons have engraved themselves into her mind. Lightning was a woman who determined her own fate, her own choices, and her own destiny.  
The council may remind her time and time again how important it was to marry and create an heir, but in doing so only earned them a scoff from Lightning. The way marriage had been imposed on her gave her the impression that breeding was more important to the council.

Of course Lightning was aware than an heir was important but with the way things are, marriages and heirs were at the very back of her head, especially with how the notion was proposed to her.

Serah knew Lightning was not against marriage, people just tend to interpret the thought of marriage the wrong way to Lightning, 'rubbing her the wrong way' as Fang had once stated. It gave Lightning terribly bad impressions on marriage and having children.  
If that had been the case between Serah and Snow, Lightning would surely be even more adamant on keeping them away from each other. But Serah had set out to prove it was different, that indeed she loved Snow and he her. It took long to convince her, but Lightning was no fool; she observed, watched. And the end result pleased her though she would not say so out loud. Thus Serah was allowed to be wed to Snow.

"Well now, this is a pleasant surprise! Serah it has been a long time!" Fang greeted as Vanille led Serah to the training grounds.

Right away the general dropped the sword she had been training with and walked over to greet Lightning's sister. "How are you little princess? Has Snow been treating you well enough? I know your sister is still very unsure of him at times." Fang laughed and Serah laughed as well. "Thank you Fang, but I am faring well and so is Snow. Oh, that's right. He sends his regards to both of you." Vanille and Fang grinned. "Well when you return, tell him we said our regards as well."

Serah nodded in agreement. She glanced around the training grounds; it seemed to have improved in equipment and such, but it was hardly a surprise since Lightning herself tends to enjoy passing her time with a couple of sword swings.

Her blue eyes, a darker shade than Lightning's, caught sight of a female figure swinging her knife around with expert ease. "Is she a new recruit into Bodhum's army?" Serah asked, gesturing to the stranger woman.  
Fang shook her head. "Not at all. I am sure Vanille told you of an incident in which Lightning defended a wife from being struck by her husband." Serah nodded. "Well, that woman is that wife. Lightning allowed her entrance into the palace and training grounds at any time she wishes. You see, her husband was a patron of a brothel that had hidden itself here in Bodhum. Your sister dismantled the business and the woman's husband is imprisoned. But he will not be facing any charges."

Serah seemed surprised. "Truly?"

"Apparently Lightning saw how much the woman loves the man. She locked him in the dungeons in order for her," Fang glanced at the woman, "to visit him and speak to him without either one harming each other badly. That woman has been battered enough in her lifetime."

Serah returned her gaze to the woman. She was clearly an expert with a knife. Perhaps a former vigilante. If so, then Serah was glad her sister was giving this woman the opportunity to regain her ability to fight, and to see her husband. Perhaps to the eyes of others, it would have been best for Lightning to place the husband on trial but Lightning knew what she was doing; she always did, otherwise she would not have done what she did.

* * *

Lightning poured through the last papers on her desk and sighed tiredly. Her head was aching but she brushed the feeling aside and arranged her desk until it was neat enough for another use for work. She glanced at the window and noticed how the sun was close to falling from the sky. It was still light out but it was close to late noon now.

Perhaps it was best to check on Serah.

She left her study and moved walked back to her chambers. To her surprise, Serah was there sitting on the bed, digging through the clothing she brought with her for her stay.  
"I had expected Vanille to wear you out before I returned." Serah jumped at the sound of her sister's voice. She whirled around and placed a hand on her heart in fright. "You startled me! Well! I expected you to be working longer. Not that it displeases me; I am glad you are here already."

She walked up to the queen and took hold on the bandaged hand. "I want to speak to you about this." Lightning pulled it away and sighed. "It is nothing Serah. Just a mere scratch."

"That is not a mere scratch, Sister! I was told you _grabbed_ the blade!" Serah grabbed Lightning's hand again and unwrapped the bandages. The wrappings came free and Serah could see it was stained with Lightning's blood.  
The gash was closing it seems but still very much new on the queen's skin. "This is not a mere scrape. This is cut a bit deep!" "Stop fussing, Serah! I said it is fine!" Lightning protested, holding her wounded hand in her undamaged one.

Serah sighed and gently took Lightning's hand again and guided her sister to the bed, sitting her down. She moved away and grabbed a bottle of potion and fresh wrappings from her traveling pack. Returning to Lightning, she carefully dabbed on the wound with a clean cloth. Lightning winced just a slight at the sting the potion made then relaxed once more when Serah covered the wound.

"I saw the woman not too long ago. In the training ground." Serah mentioned after wrapped her sister's hand. Lightning flexed her hand, opening and closing it carefully. Testing if it was fine for movement.

"I see. Was she doing well?"

"She seemed concentrated…"

Lightning crossed her arms. "That is good; it will keep her mind busy in the meantime. I have no doubt Fang and Vanille told you of what happened." "Yes." Serah nodded.  
"Any reason why you are here? I had expected you to be out for longer." Lightning watched her sister, noticing how much she has grown. She still tied her hair to one side, similar to how Lightning's hair merely lay on her shoulder.

"I have seen nearly everything. And I still remember how it is here in Bodhum." Serah smiled. "I also wanted to rest…" "Yes, I am sure your journey here must have tired you out." Lightning said and stood up, heading for the washroom. "Go on and sleep now." Serah nodded and watched Lightning's retreating back.

Lightning slipped into the warm liquid bliss, once again surrounded by the many rose petals in the water.

But as soon as she leaned back against the edge of the tub, she felt small gentle hands touch her scalp. Serah smiled when her sister relaxed into her touch. "I see you have been keeping your body fair and lovely." Lightning shook her head. "It relaxes me and cleans me, nothing more."  
Serah chuckled. While many women thought of ways to keep themselves young and fair, Lightning only thought of cleaning and resting her body. It comes as no shock as she works hard each day, never resting; a cry for help may come at any moment.

"Lightning… If I may ask, has the council spoken to you of finding a husband?" Lightning said nothing and Serah worried that she might have overstepped boundaries but Lightning finally answered her. "Yes. It is nothing new after all, but I grow tired of their endless reminders." "There truly are good men in the world you may be able to find." Serah reassured.

Lightning leaned back into Serah's expert strokes on her scalp. "So much in quantity, and too little quality."

"Perhaps…" Serah said as she continued to wash Lightning's hair. It brought a smile to her face that Lightning still trusted her with every touch or helping hand she lent. After an argument over Snow she had been worried that perhaps Lightning's trust in her had lessened, but with the way they were now, it seemed that not even that aspect has changed. Of course, she knew Lightning was too selfless, too noble. She was more than worthy to be called a queen. It made Serah swell with pride that this woman before her was her very own sister.

"Serah."

"Mm?

"You can stop. I am finished here."

Serah blinked then stood up. "Oh." She stepped back while Lightning grabbed a nearby towel and rubbed herself dry. Serah's eyes watched the red petals that fell off her body then followed Lightning back into the room.  
She walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a clean tunic for Lightning, making a face at her sister's choice of clothing. None of them were of a woman's liking but more of male. This was the same old Lightning, the one who refused to have her legs covered by skirts and preferred to run around in breeches.

She dressed her sister and Lightning shrugged the tunic on and stepped into her breeches.

Serah returned to the bed and sat down, eyeing Lightning carefully. She seemed to have become stronger yet again; from a young but wise fifteen-year-old, to the hard and cold, calculating eighteen-year-old, and now she was this solemn and quiet woman of twenty-one.  
The change was amazing, yet scary to Serah. She and Lightning were growing, but Lightning was different in more ways than one. Serah shivered.

"Are you cold?" Lightning pulled the bed's covers up over Serah.

Chuckling, Serah shook her head. "I'm sorry. I was merely thinking too much. I'm fine." Lightning nodded then moved to her chamber's window. She stared out and watched as a black form raced around through the garden. She watched and sighed wistfully.

"Serah." Her younger sister looked up at her. "Come with me. There is someone I want you to meet." Lightning walked out of the chamber and Serah quickly scurried after her.

Lightning brought them to the gardens and Serah stared up at her older sibling in puzzlement. Why were they in the gardens? "Wait." Lightning said quietly, sensing Serah's silent question. For a while nothing happened. Serah opened her mouth to ask why they were standing there but was interrupted but a sudden rustle.

Lightning's eyes remained forward, staring at whatever was approaching.

The gigantic black wolf approached the sisters. Slowly and cautiously. He knew Lightning well enough but the newcomer was somebody he had not yet met.  
Lightning moved closer to him and the wolf settled down on his haunches. Serah's eyes widened. "He is a guest here." Lightning said, "I brought him here to recover; I will have him released once he is in a better shape." She rubbed the fur on the wolf's large neck. "My sister." She introduced to him. "She will be staying for a while."

Noctis glanced at the younger female; so this was Bodhum's second princess. Serah Farron, he supposed her name was. This young one had similar features to Lightning, however her eyes were a slightly darker shade of blue and her face was much softer, youthful while Lightning's face was sharper.  
Serah's hair was tied up on the left side of her head; similar to Lightning's hair resting on her shoulder. Though Serah's pinkish strands were much longer. Serah was slender and feminine while Lightning was taller, physically stronger and toned from her arms to the rest of her body.

Serah stared right back at him in awe. "He's beautiful, Sister." If Noctis had been a man at the moment he would have blushed or cleared his throat from embarrassment.

Lightning nodded. "He is also intelligent it seems. Not to worry, he won't harm you if you are with me. Once he remembers you he won't attack." Serah moved forward slowly. Noctis stood up and stared down at her. Lightning took Serah's hand in hers and slowly placed it on the wolf's muzzle.  
Noctis sniffed at the Bodhum princess's hand.

She smelled much more different than her sister but their essence was the same.

"What do you call him?" Lightning shrugged at Serah's question. "Wolf…" When her sibling gave her a look she shook her head. "No point in naming him; he will have to go free soon." Serah lowered her head. "I see. But I suppose it is nice to know you did make more friends after all."

Noctis snorted. He had not considered Lightning a friend, just somebody who was helping him recover until he was well enough to leave; something he could not wait to do.  
Lightning looked at him and for a brief moment he could have sworn there was something there in her eyes but it was gone before he could make out what he had read in those deep blue pools.

"Serah, why don't you return to the bedchambers and get some rest?" Lightning suggested. Serah let out a small yawn and smiled sheepishly. "I suppose I should. I will see you at dinner then Sister?" The queen nodded and Serah left.

Noctis glanced at the queen of Bodhum. She was silent now and watching as her sister retreated back into the palace halls. "She has grown. And even if I were to wish, there is nothing I can do about it. I admit I may have reacted poorly when she announced her choice of groom…"  
Noctis stared at her, surprised at the confession; so she did dislike Lord Villiers. He had heard the man was rather…hyper. He spoke loudly but he was a good man. And unlike Gilgamesh he at least knew when to stop and think. Sometimes.

Lightning crossed her arms and shook her head. "As long as nothing goes wrong I can learn to let the matter go. If I must."

The black wolf poked his nose against her shoulder. "You may leave if you wish; there is no need to listen to me." Lightning said, stroking his muzzle.  
Noctis huffed and turned to rush back into the bushes. He stopped for a moment to watch the queen. She remained in place and just raised her head to watch the sky.

* * *

"I hope you had a fitful rest." Lightning said during dinner. Serah grinned. "Of course. Your bed is most comfortable after all."

Behind her, Vanille giggled at Serah's words. Lightning cleared her throat. "Yes… But do not expect it is because I take a lover into my chambers. I am through with those jests." The younger women laughed. "There is nothing wrong with a mere jest, Sister. It is not uncommon for those of royalty to bring a lover to bed after all."

"Yes… I am aware." Lightning's tone was dull. Vanille chuckled. "Ever the noble Farron."

"Tell me Lightning, how is the wolf being fed?" Serah wondered. Lightning sat upright. "I had the soldiers release live animals into the garden; deer or anything wolves feed on. He captures it and eats." "I see. You are making sure his instincts does not dim."  
Vanille smiled. "Your sister is fond of that animal. She even talks to him at times." "He is intelligent. That is all." Lightning defended. "You find many fine males within the animal kingdom, but none in the human kingdom." Serah said in jest.

The young queen groaned lightly. "Please, stop straying to that topic. I grow tired of it."

After that dinner had been a quiet affair. Serah and Lightning retired to the bedchambers right after. Once she was settled under the warmth of the covers, Serah glanced at Lightning. "How are you feeling now?" "I am fine Serah, there is nothing to be worried about." The queen sighed.  
"I just wanted to make sure." Serah laid back against the pillows and Lightning followed after. "Not to worry." The queen stroked her young sister's cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep now Serah."

With a nod, she did so. Lightning watched her for a long moment before she laid back; turning her gaze to the ceiling then closed her eyes.

* * *

**I'll end it here for now.**

**I hope you enjoyed. And Serah finally makes an appearance. Now I think you will realize who Lightning had been sending letters to now.**

**I was also glad that I finally got to write a scene and chapter that revolves around the Farron Sisters. I always loved them and their sisterly bond despite how limited they are in the games but I am sure they are, in a way, close. **

**See you guys again in the next chapter!**

**Until then…**


	7. Chapter VII: Passe

**Disclaimer: ****I am still in the mood to write. It seems my "itchy fingers" just won't rest until I write some more! Specifically this story.**

**Have fun reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter VII: Passé**

"Princess, please! You will spoil your clothes!" The servant ran about frantically, chasing after the young girl and her companions. "Sister, maybe we shouldn't torment the servants so much?" The youngest princess said, looking back at the tired and frantic man.

Her older sister scoffed. "It is not my fault they are fussing over nothing."

"That's true! Lightning can spoil her clothes whenever she wants! Just like me!" Fang grinned, obviously proud of the mud and dirt that smudged her face.  
Lightning frowned and started moving off again. Fang grinned and followed excitedly while Serah and Vanille pouted at their older counterparts for being so stubborn. "Sister can we please sit down first?" Serah panted when Lightning came to a stop by the rose bushes. She nodded and the three other children sighed and dropped themselves on the ground.

Serah smiled as she inhaled deeply to take in the smell in the air. "The roses smell so lovely, Sister!"

Lightning sat beside her, crossing her legs. "Mother did so well in keeping the flowers healthy. I wish I could have seen her do it again." "I wish Mother were still here…" Serah's smile dropped. Her older sibling placed a hand on Serah's head. "Don't cry Serah! You have to be a big girl now!" It was almost an order. Vanille wished to calm Lightning down but Fang held her back.

"But Sister…" Serah swallowed, "we're just princesses. We cannot do anything else…" Lightning was about to speak when somebody spoke first.  
"Ah, but soon your sister will no longer be a princess…" A tall man with an oval face and dark skin, short, brown hair and brown a mustache approached the girls.

"Sir Amodar!" Fang exclaimed happily upon seeing her and Lightning's swords master mentor.

Lightning huffed and crossed her arms. Amodar laughed at the eldest princess's expression and ruffled her hair. "Come now! That is not the face a queen must make!" Lightning's eyes darkened. "… Why must I be queen?"  
"Serah is too young, after all. Once she reaches the right age and you wish to step down, only then can she be queen." Amodar chuckled, but upon seeing Lightning's face he supposed he must have given her the wrong answer. "Listen to me, Princess. I know it must be difficult for you to take in the thought of being queen. But you still have a bit more time; you will only be crowned next year, when you are fifteen."

Amodar sighed and brought the girls along back into the palace and settled them in the kitchen where he allowed them to munch on bread and cheese.

Lightning ate nothing, only blankly staring at the table. The general of Bodhum's army placed his large hand on her tiny shoulder. "I know you wish to remain like a child for a bit longer; I wish that as well for you, but if Bodhum is left without a ruler for too long, outsiders may try and claim the throne. But if you ascended as the ruler then Bodhum will surely be safe."  
The eldest princess frowned and looked up at Amodar; that stubborn spark in her eyes shone through, along with the brief flash of grief. "I'm only a child. I don't belong on the throne."

Fang, Vanille and Serah stopped munching and stared at Lightning.

The eldest princess was merely a girl of fourteen years, but after the king and queen's untimely demise it was decided that the eldest daughter was to rise up and ascend to the throne. Many objected as Princess Lightning was still too young; but the council gave her only one year to wait until she was crowned. Fifteen years of age was still too young but they must rush as to not risk the chance of an uprising or invasion. Should news of Bodhum's empty throne reach the ears of outsiders, the country would risk being taken and the last of the royal family overthrown.

Lightning understood this, of course. But she was still a young girl, not yet a woman, who had no place on a throne just yet.

Amodar looked upon at his protégé with the sad eyes of a father. He understood her sadness to an extent. The king was his most trusted friend since boyhood, and to lose him and the queen was a blow to Amodar as well. The king had entrusted him with training his eldest daughter along with another potential child of his choice, in the way of the sword.  
Fang was a rather wild child but her energy and quick mind made her a potential student, and alongside her, Princess Lightning, who should have been passing her time with other young ladies, was more interested in the art of sword fighting.

Amodar had expected Fang to be excellent due to upbringing as the daughter of a long family line of hunters from the village of Oerba. Though they were not of high status or noble blood, Fang and her family were respected by the king and queen. When Fang's parents had passed on, the young huntress did not let it hold her back from releasing her energy and learning the ways of her people. Yes, it was expected that Fang would be a wonderful student.

But the princess was an entirely different and shocking matter.

Those in the royal family did indeed hone skills, especially the males of the bloodline, but the females such as the queen and princesses were known to have only enough knowledge to help them should they need to use a sword, and are not as skilled as the men, even with the crystal's powers flowing equally through both the men and women.

But Princess Lightning was different; she possessed what seemed to be an innate ability with a sword. The moment she began her training, she took all her lessons to heart and right away adapted to the feeling of a blade in her hand. She was merely eleven-going-to-twelve years of age.  
The king had tried to dissuade her from such an activity but the princess was stubborn and preferred moving and spending her strength and energy on something more interesting than trying on a new dress—for she enjoyed slacks over skirts—or playing with lovely dolls with her sister.

Right away, Fang found the princess to be a rival for Amodar's attention. But the young Lightning was ever so noble and humble, winning Fang's respect and friendship after several training sessions together. Amodar watched over the girls equally and treated them as a father would. He grew as a proud as the king was when the princess and the young huntress grew in skill despite their age.

It was then Fang announced her dream and ambition of becoming the general of Bodhum's army, to lead them just as Amodar did, also swearing her undying loyalty and friendship to Princess Lightning and Princess Serah.  
Her words and determination were impressive. Though she tended to be rather unruly and mischievous, she had proven herself to be efficient in many ways as a fighter. Lightning was no different. She was just as skilled, perhaps even more so than Fang. Nonetheless, they were young girls with impressive sword arms.

However, unlike Fang, Lightning possessed royal blood and in this blood ran the power of the crystal. A power that all from a noble bloodline possessed. While Fang would continue her training, Lightning soon had to move on to a different training once her sword mastery was complete, and that was to use the crystal's power. It proved difficult, even for the skilled princess.  
But her determination and stubbornness made her push through with each lesson. Even when she caught a terrible cold from the rain and needed to stay in bed, she still insisted on training to the point that guards were assigned at the door of her room to keep her from escaping into the training grounds. The princess was stubborn, but not crazy as to jump out of the window recklessly. However, she created a rope from her many large blankets in order to climb out. Her father was less than pleased but it amused him how much his eldest child could get into.

Serah was the voice of reason to her older sibling, but Lightning still held her head high with her foolhardy stubbornness. Nonetheless, she grew into a strong and proper young lady who wanted nothing more than to watch over her young sister.  
When Serah expressed her desire to train just as Lightning did, the older sister was against it. It surprised the king and queen was protective Lightning had become but it impressed them as well; they knew Serah would always be in good hands now. And although the younger princess was atrocious with a sword at first, she progressed rather fairly under Amodar's tutelage. And at times, Lightning's.

Vanille, a longtime companion of Fang was not as adept in fighting and stood on the same level as Serah, but she found her calling in the art of magic, especially healing. Many of the palace's healers and magic-users taught her everything they knew until the girl's Cure spells grew to extraordinary heights. She enjoyed skipping through the palace halls with Serah, Fang, and Lightning.  
Always by their side no matter what until she was appointed handmaiden to the princesses. She did not mind as she found every resident of the palace kind and helpful; she wished to put herself to good use as well.

Amodar sighed heavily. "You will learn to be a good queen. Not to worry, everyone will be by your side. Including me. I will teach all there is to learn."  
Fang grinned, showing her teeth. "And I will become general of Bodhum's army! I will the strongest soldier and protect the country!" Vanille laughed, finding her friend's seriousness over the matter rather endearing. "I can help with my healing! My teachers say my magic has grown wonderfully!" "And I will learn how to fight! Just like you, Sister!" Serah announced.

Lightning lowered her gaze to the floor, her cheeks burning. She was reluctant to just simply take the throne once she reaches fifteen. But she did not want her home being taken as well; her mother and father would not have wanted that. She was torn. She wanted to still be as she was; as a young girl free from duty until the right time comes, but she knew there was no other way.  
Ascending to the throne would keep Bodhum safe and she had plenty of time to learn. Still, she could not push away the ache in her heart despite the changes she made in herself to leave the past behind.

She was only a child. But now, she must become the queen.

_-XIII-_

Queen Farron opened her eyes slowly; the first thing in her sights was the ceiling of her room. She exhaled tiredly and glanced to the side. Serah slept beside her, a peaceful smile on her face.  
The young queen wondered what she dreamt of. The past? The happier days? It could be anything wonderful since it put a smile on the younger monarch's face.

Lightning sat up ran a hand through her hair, letting her bangs slip through her fingers smoothly.

"Sister?" Serah's voice made Lightning turn slightly to glance at her. "Did wake you?" Serah shook her head and released a small yawn. "Not at all."  
Lightning got up and rolled her shoulders. It was the crack of dawn and not everybody was awake just yet. Serah realized this and stared at her sister. "Lightning? Please tell me you are not going to begin your duties just yet." Lightning resisted the urge to curse; indeed she had intended to work a little bit before the sun rose completely. But Serah seems to making sure she did no such thing.

"… What would you have me do then, Serah?"

"Sleep a bit longer; you need rest, Sister. You know this."

"I can manage. And I have slept long enough."

Serah sat up and reached out for Lightning's arm. "Please Sister; understand that I am only saying this because…I am concerned." "I know. But do not fret so much; I have more than enough strength to work this early in the morning."  
"No Sister. You will sleep in for the day and work once you have rested properly. I insist." Serah pulled her sister back onto the bed and gently pushed Lightning down onto the mattress before tucking her in, covering her with the soft, warm blankets.

Lightning flushed. "Serah…" "Not a word! You should sleep a little longer." Serah lay back as well, smiling at her work on Lightning. The queen sighed but protested no longer. Closing her eyes, Lightning allowed herself to relax until sleep overtook her once more.

* * *

Noctis could not sleep. His mind raged with nightmares of that day, the day of his loss and the day began blaming all for his despair.

The black wolf snarled; he cared not if the past was to be left in the past. His rage and sorrow was all he had left and he had no intention of letting go now, or ever.  
His disturbed mind kept him from sleeping however but at this ungodly hour, there was nothing to keep him entertained. He got up from the soft grassy patch he slept on and trotted all the way towards the palace walls.

He wondered if the queen had awoken. If she did, then she would at least be able to provide him with some entertainment.

Noctis looked up but the windows of the library were pitch-black. It seems she had not awakened yet. He yawned and curled up, laying himself down and hoping to sleep for at least a moment. Even if only for an hour or less. He growled when it did not seem to help but he kept his eyes close. He felt too restless to sleep and too tired to wake up fully. It was troublesome but he refused to live his life any other way. If these memories were all he had left then nobody was going to take it away from him.

_-XIII-_

Lightning's eyes shot up and she sat up abruptly, startling Serah.

"Sister? Did you have a nightmare?" Serah touched her sister's tense bicep but Lightning shook her head. "I need to tend to something." Before the younger sister could protest, Lightning pat her head reassuringly. "Do not fret, it is not work. I will only be in the library should you need me."  
Serah sighed and nodded. After making Lightning swearing she will really be only in the library, she let her go.

The queen moved down the halls swiftly, the scent of the still-dark-day soothed her senses.

Her feet brought her to the gardens where she stopped and her eyes surveyed the area. Her sight came upon the black form of the wolf.  
She sighed and approached the beast. He was twitching, and moving restlessly in his sleep. Perhaps beasts did dream, but of what? Lightning touched his back and his eyes shot open. His jaws were wide open, ready to pounce and attack. But upon meeting Lightning's eyes, he stopped and drew back. The queen had not moved an inch despite the near attack.

Instead she tugged at his scruff. "Come."

Noctis perked up slightly and followed her into the palace. They were going to the library. Good. He would at least be able to keep his restless mind busy.  
He trotted after her, ignoring how the moon's light seemed to make her hair glow with an ethereal light. The queen was too distracting and she did not even notice; he could not afford that, it was why he wished to leave as soon as possible, once he was better.

Lightning opened the library doors and the wolf walked in, followed by the queen.

Right away Noctis moved to Lightning's favorite spot by the window while she scanned the shelves for a decent volume to read. The wolf watched her as she searched the large shelves of the library. Noctis lifted a leg and scratched himself while Lightning grabbed a book and returned to his side.  
He huffed and tried to look at the cover of the volume. To his surprise, Lightning placed it on the floor, in front of him before she sat down on at the sill to gaze out of the window. "I apologize, but I am afraid I am exhausted to read myself. You may enjoy it for yourself…"

Noctis watched as she slowly drifted off to sleep, closing her eyes and resting her head against the window. He turned to the book and carefully flipped the pages with his large paw.

As he read, he would occasionally glance at the sleeping queen. He wondered if perhaps she had been working well into the night again. But he had seen the window of her study and it had been dark, signifying that she had gone to bed instead. But perhaps the queen was unable to sleep; that could be a plausible explanation to her current state of needing sleep. Not that it mattered to him in the least, of course.

Noctis read until the sun rose. Only then did the doors of the library creak open.

The wolf stared cautiously then relaxed upon realizing it was only the queen's sister. Serah spotted her sibling right away and made her way over, carefully sidestepping Noctis and avoiding his large swishing tail. She placed a hand on Lightning's cheek gently. "Lightning?"  
The queen's eyes flashed open then she released a sigh. "Serah. I apologize; I seemed to have…fallen asleep." Serah shook her head at her sister then glanced at the wolf.

"I did say he was intelligent, did I not?" The queen said, knowing what Serah had been thinking of when she saw the wolf reading.

Noctis shut the book with a push of his paw and nudged it towards the queen, indicating that he was done reading for the day. Lightning nodded and brought the book back to its proper place upon the shelves. Serah watched, observing that the wolf was indeed smarter than just some animal. Her sister seemed to encounter the most fascinating males in the kingdom of animals instead of the kingdom of humans, just as she had jested the night before.

Lightning then placed a hand on the wolf's back and led him back outside and released him into the gardens once more where the beast immediately dashed through the dense bushes.

"I need to attend to my duties now, Serah." Queen Farron announced quietly and walked to where her study was. The youngest heir followed her but Lightning stopped her. "You may spend the day with Vanille. I am afraid I will be occupied for the whole day."  
Serah lowered her head and nodded in defeat. "Very well… But, please rest once in a while Sister." "Not to worry." The queen turned and left the library, leaving Serah surrounded by shelves and shelves of books.

Lightning sat at her desk and rubbed her temples tiredly.

Her mind was racing and it seems as though she had no control over it. Her thoughts and sleep were disturbed frequently but she held it back despite how it only created an even more painful feeling inside of her head. But duty always came first, no matter what.  
She had studied and trained for her days as queen. It was a difficult task, and much different from sword practice. Her advisors, wise men who served loyally under her father, taught her everything she needed to know in order to rule. She had been taught to find flaws in the words of the silver-tongued guilty, trained to observe the many body languages that may hold the answers. Her body was trained to fight, to persevere, to protect, and to challenge.

During the nights as her early years as a newly-crowned queen, she would often have trouble sleeping. She spent her nights training and studying when slumber refused to take her.

Even at her young age she had known that much was expected of her, that a heavy burden and duty was to be placed upon her shoulder the moment she was given the throne.  
She had said nothing and held her head up high as her mother and father would have wished of her, but inside, her sorrow buried itself deeper into her heart. She had been a child when she was named queen, and yet many immediately sought her aid, her advice, and worse; her hand.

It should have been too much for a young girl to bear but she pushed through; she had her kingdom to protect, and her sister to raise on her own. Everything was upon her shoulders and every pain and hardship pierced her chest.

The moment she was crowned queen, she was no longer considered a girl, but a woman. A woman with a title, a woman with a duty, a woman with power, authority and respect. This was the role she must take and live up to ever since her birth. She knew she had to become a woman, act like a woman and be a queen. Long had she lost her youthful wiles and replaced them with the wiles of a ruler who spoke words and fought battles for her people and the last of her family. Her days as a girl playing out in the gardens with her companions were gone and were instead transformed into days of studying and training until the sun had set. Her small girlish hands transformed into the callous, hard, strong hands of a warrior that wielded a sword.

Lightning's eyes read the parchment in her hands, with many more littered on her desk, waiting to either be signed or at least glanced at.

She could swear that she was close to bursting at any moment. But she pushed herself to finish work before she even released her relieved sigh.  
Once every parchment was dealt with, she got up and exited her study. She felt crammed, she needed space, more than what the gardens provided; she needed to be outside. Making her decision, she strolled to the stables, greeting Odin with a touch to his nose.

The steed snorted in greeting. "I feel stuck, old friend. Want to join me for a moment outside?" Odin neighed at his master's suggestion and Lightning led him out of the stables and dressed him with his saddle and reins.

Odin broke into a gallop the instant the queen settled on his back. The guards nearly had no time to open the gates for them but managed to do so in time.  
The steed's hooves clopped down the streets of Bodhum with the civilians watching as their ruler passed them by. Lightning kept her eyes forward, staring ahead at the plains that laid just outside of Bodhum's main gates.

Once she and Odin made it out, the horse slowed himself down in order for his master to take in the beauty that surrounded them.

* * *

Noctis snorted in displeasure as he walked along the flowers in the garden. It seems that Her Majesty has left the palace with her steed once more.

He knew of her prowess as a ruler, but in his mind he felt that the queen was nothing more than a frightened child; it was shameful for a ruler to be as such. While no one else noticed, he certainly did. Queen Farron worked hard everyday but once she was pressured enough she would take her horse and run away like a coward for a couple of good hours.

Noctis snarled in disgust but could not hold back his arrogant thoughts; unlike Queen Farron, he was free from all duties. There was no one to hold him on a chain; nobody was there to crush him with their meaningless embraces, and so-called love, and appearance mattered not to him. He was a wolf, a wild beast. He cared for none but his own life; survival of the fittest.  
And he refused to sleep and slave his life away on the throne his father did. No. The world he desired was a world with no barriers, no responsibilities to hold. Not a soul could command him. And he was able to keep what was most precious to him; his memories of her.

Nobody understood his grief or sorrow, not even his own fool of a father. The man failed his role as a father, and Noctis could now care less what happens now. Perhaps he was being too arrogant, but it did not matter. Who would care to tell a beast that he was being a pompous windbag? He did as he pleased now.

"Vanille." Noctis stopped and looked around to see Lady Serah speaking with the handmaiden. Noctis remained in place, covered by the thick brush.  
"Serah. Something the matter?" Vanille turned to face the younger Farron. Serah fiddled with her hair. "I cannot find my sister…" "I am sure she is fine. If she is not in the palace then I know for certain she is outside riding Odin." Vanille smiled warmly and right away Serah exhaled in relief; of course, how could she forget? Lightning always enjoyed taking Odin out for a run at times.

"Lightning will be all yours once she returns. I saw the work she had already finished for this day when I cleaned her study."

"Thank you Vanille."

"Not to worry! But I feel like there is something else on your mind?"

"Perhaps…"

"Tell me."

Serah sighed. "I just worry for her. I am proud of how much she has accomplished in such a short span of time. But what of herself?" Vanille nodded. "Yes, I understand where you are coming from. But…that is just how Lightning is. You and the country comes first before all else to her." "I know that already. I just do not want to risk…" She trailed off and the redhead handmaiden placed a hand on her friend's arm. "That is understandable. Do not worry Serah; Lightning will not go anywhere unless you tell her to."

Noctis tilted his head in confusion. The women made no sense; though they were apparently speaking of Queen Lightning, their words did not bring anything together for him to understand.

It seems everything is about Lightning Farron. What made her special? She was just another monarch, another queen. This is nothing unusual. Why was everything revolving around her? Including back home in Nifleheim; her name was spoken many times by the servants, the council, and the citizens. Even his father, King Giovanni, spoke so highly of her.  
True, Bodhum and its royal family is a longtime friend and ally to Nifleheim and the Caelums. But Noctis was growing tired of everything being about Queen Farron. It was always about her and her accomplishments, it was always about some other monarch such as Lord Cecil or Lady Garnet.

What about him? What about _his_ sorrows and his pain? It had always been about everybody else, especially Queen Lightning. But for once, Noctis wanted it to be all about _him_ about _his _suffering. Not a single soul cared or bothered.

His heart ached with pain as he snarled ferociously. Now everything _will_ be about him, and now he could care less about the words of the monarchs, of the Alliance. He wanted no part of it any longer; this life was his alone and his heart was hers still. Not even his father can change his mind. This new path he chose for himself will be of him and him alone. No kingdom, no titles as a prince or king.

"_May you all rot in the Underworld!"_ Noctis snarled internally and turned to run back, deep into the gardens.

_-XIII-_

Lightning placed a hand on her chest; her innermost thoughts suddenly grew disturbing. Odin fidgeted slightly, sensing his queen's distress. She pulled on his reins. "Come now Odin. Let us return."

The noble steed neighed and walked onwards, back to the gates of Bodhum. Lightning stared upward, watching as the sky began to glow in an orange-pink light. It will be dark soon and Serah was by now worried. Her younger sister may begin lecturing her, but it did not matter to Lightning. She felt slightly calmer so a mere scolding will not disturb her peace for the moment.

When the sudden pang of unease crept into her mind, Lightning kicked Odin's sides, signaling for the great beast to speed up and hurry on back to the palace. Odin did so. The wind whipped at his mane and tail and at Lightning's luscious pink hair. However this time, the rush of the cool winds did not settle the uneasiness in her chest.

* * *

**Recommended song: A World Without Fences**

**From: Lady and the Tramp 2 Scamp's Adventure**

**This song suits Noctis and his current mindset. For this first part of the story he chooses to be selfish and live a free selfish life. In his mind, everyone around him is to blame for his loss, including his own father, and even those who had nothing to do with the incident.**

**A lot of people did care for him and were concerned of his pains. But to Noctis, he believes that nobody ever did care and wants the world to revolve around him.  
The pain he had gone through has ultimately twisted his point of view on the world around him, making him believe he deserves to be and act selfishly.**

**It might be natural to feel sorry for him; however the point of it is to not feel so. Since he decided to purposely go down the road to oblivion. And being in his wolf form gives him the excuse to avoid his duties as prince and future king. He is not hiding his pain but merely acting on it, making him irrational at times and all around uncaring of others.**

**Amodar makes a brief appearance in Lightning's memories but he is not at the palace now. Where is he? You will have to wait and see.**

**I hope this gives you better idea on the story a bit and I also hope you enjoyed. See you guys again soon in the next chapter of whichever I write.**

**Until then…**


	8. Chapter VIII: Disparus

**Disclaimer:**** Things are kind of slow lately I noticed. Well, can't be helped I guess. Anyway, I present to you the new chapter of Sanctuaire. I hope you all take the time to read and enjoy to your heart's content!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter VIII: Disparus**

Lightning dismounted Odin the moment she and her steed entered the palace gates. Odin neighed loudly and right away the stable hands rushed to the mighty horse, attempting to calm him and bring him back into the stables. Odin resisted until he saw his master enter the palace. Finally, he settled down and allowed the boys to take him back to his stall for a good brushing.

"Majesty! We have been seeking you—" "I am aware." Lightning said, cutting her servant off. He bowed and scurried off, sensing his queen's off mood. She walked towards her study, her stride was quick but she made sure to keep herself from rushing like a clumsy fool.  
She pushed the doors open, not caring at the moment if it had caused a slight ruckus. The passing servants scampered at a safe distance from where their queen stood; knowing all too well that to stand in her path whilst she was in a dark mood would mean chaos. But just as well, they knew she would always have a proper reason for being in a terrible mood.

Lightning shut the doors of her study before approaching her desk. A lone letter sat there, a familiar seal held the envelop shut.

The queen narrowed her eyes as she picked up the letter and peeled off the seal. Unfolding the letter, her eyes scanned the words written down. She frowned slightly then folded the letter and placed the envelope on her desk as she reread the letter. This was certainly a need for concern.  
She heard the doors open and glanced over her shoulder to see Serah enter, accompanied by Vanille. "Sister? Has something happened? I heard the servants whisper that you seemed…distracted." Serah said, moving closer to Lightning. The young queen handed her the letter, much to Serah's puzzlement. She took the letter and stared at the insignia at the bottom. It was the crest of Nifleheim.

"An invitation to a formal dining from the king?"

"It seems he wishes to discuss something with me."

Serah looked over at her sister as she stared at the invitation that had been placed on her desk. "For what reason? Was it stated?" Serah asked, looking the letter over but found no clue as to what the king would want with her sister. "Private matters, I assume." Lightning said, taking the letter back and placing it on top of the invitation. She turned to Vanille, "Have the other servants spoken to you of a messenger?" The handmaiden nodded. "Yes. I had heard that a messenger had come to seek you but you were absent at the moment so the other servants must have brought him here to leave you the letter."

Lightning nodded, almost absentmindedly, and looked down at the invitation.

The King of Nifleheim has invited her to a dinner that would take place in three days time. Though it was merely a letter she had received, Lightning could sense urgency in the message.  
"I have not visited Nifleheim for some time. I suppose this invitation would be a reasonable excuse to do so." Lightning arranged the papers that sat on her desk before taking the letter and invitation with her as she left the study.

"It seems so sudden…" Vanille confided, twiddling her thumbs as she walked with Serah and Lightning. The queen shrugged. "Perhaps. But sudden or not I feel my presence is much needed there. I am uncertain as to why, but if I wish to figure it out, then attend I must." "Perhaps Lord Giovanni is in dire need of assistance regarding the country's economy?" Serah suggested.  
"I doubt that must be the case, Serah. If that were true then word would have already spread like wildfire at this very moment."

The younger women nodded in understanding.

Nifleheim and Bodhum have been close allies for as long as anybody was able to remember. Their alliance was strong and unbreakable despite the many attempts to have the two countries battle each other. For, perhaps centauries, the Farron and Caelum line have been close companions; never failing to come to the aid of the other should it be needed urgently.  
Until this day the bond between the two allies remained as strong as ever, and it was because of this that Lightning felt obligated to accept the invitation sent to her by the king. Though she was aware that she hardly attended to simple gatherings in the past, she knew King Giovanni understood why. But now she was certain she would at least be able to attend the dinner.

Three days. It was enough time for her to prepare.

"I suspect I will be staying there for a day or two." Lightning mused out loud, much to Vanille and Serah's surprise. The queen merely looked back at them with a blank expression. "Why wait for three days to have the dinner? As monarchs we have every means of preparing and reaching a neighboring country within the same amount of days if I and the other invited guests were to leave now. I am certain Lord Giovanni knew I would figure this out; after all our kingdoms have been allies even before my birth."

Serah nodded. "Yes, that is understandable. However it still does not explain why he would need you to stay in Nifleheim for a while." "Perhaps he wishes to speak about his son." Vanille said suddenly. Lightning glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. The redhead clasped her hands together. "Remember the rumor of the prince missing from the kingdom? Perhaps he wishes to discuss his son's disappearance with somebody he could trust, which happens to be you, Lightning." "I see…perhaps that might be the case. But whether or not it is, I will be assisting in whatever the matter is." Lightning stopped at the door of her chambers. "Vanille, notify Fang and let her know I will be gone for a day or two. I need her to be in guard here in my absence."

Vanille bowed and ran off to do as ordered. Serah entered the bedchamber with her sister and watched as Lightning grabbed her knapsack, and put in only the necessities she needed. "Has Prince Noctis truly disappeared?" Serah could not help but ask.  
Lightning glanced at her for a brief moment before continuing with her packing. "Perhaps. I have not thought much into it. Unlike myself, Prince Noctis was not forced into an early kinghood and rule over Nifleheim." "So you suspect he must have…purposely left for the sake of some male desire to roam free?" Serah inquired. Lightning tied her knapsack shut. "I am not an expert on men, Serah. You are better off asking a man instead." "An irony, Sister. You act like a man at times." The younger Farron giggled.

The queen sighed and ruffled her sibling's hair. "Enough jesting now Serah. But yes, that is my theory; as far as I know of Prince Noctis, he enjoys his freedom. Though he had seemingly decided to settle down when Fleuret came. But of course, I am sure you know how that ended." Lightning did not seem the least bit sympathetic. However, Serah knew it was only because she was seeing things in a rather mature way, unlike the other monarchs who would scowl or jeer, or pity in an instant.

"Have you spoken to the Prince before, Lightning?"

"Unfortunately not. I have not had the opportunity to meet him face-to-face."

"You have in your much-younger-years."

"True. But I hardly remember his face now."

Lightning sat on her bed and held her hand out. In a flash, her sword materialized in her hand. She grabbed a cloth from inside of her tunic and began polishing her blade.  
Serah watched her silently for a moment before speaking again. "I…do pity the prince in a way. It was his first time experiencing love if I am not mistaken." Lightning did not even blink or change expression. "Indeed. But that is no excuse to run from your family or your duties." Serah gaped at her. "You also believe the prince ran away out of cowardice?" "No. Not cowardice," Lightning stood up to swing her sword around. "Not cowardice, but denial."

"Denial?" Serah tilted her head to the side curiously.

Lightning swung her sword again. "Indeed. As you said; it was his first love and therefore it was his first time feeling heartbreak and betrayal. To grow attached and then to have it shattered before your eyes… It will be hard to accept and at times, the only way to face it is to run away. Only a few stand their ground and fight the pain, and even fewer are lucky enough to have the bond reconciled and repaired anew."

The younger Farron sighed. "Ever the politician." "One does not need to be a politician or scholar to see that, Serah. I observed and thought of it hard. And although I may not know or understand this curse called love, I am not a fool. Though I am not implying that I am correct; this is merely a speculation on the prince's…departure." Lightning explained, dismissing her sword with a swing of her arm. The blade faded in an instant.

"But if I were to state my opinion…the prince has allowed himself to trust too easily. He had been too eager to grow close to Fleuret. Of course, it is in nearly every man's instinct to desire to come close to a woman so it is no surprise. However I doubt he even waited to see if the woman was trustworthy." Lightning walked to her window and stared outside. "Fools rush in. That is the saying that wise men would usually state. And indeed it had come to pass. I cannot fault the prince since it is his first time to have such a feeling, but of course who am I to judge? Still, with my upbringing, I cannot help but have this kind of opinion. He should have waited, and if it were difficult for him to do so then he could have at least not give _everything_."

Serah looked somewhat puzzled. Lightning stared at her sister's reflection on the window. "I have seen that it is a natural instinct to give even your soul to the person you believe to be your eternal match. But to just simply give up all without thinking first could be a fatal mistake; look at what happened to the prince. Now he might have started to live in denial and the refusal to let go of the past. Though your devotion goes to your match, your mind and heart is your own." The queen sighed deeply, "But of course it is just as you said Serah; I am ever the politician. I do not speak from experience, but merely from what I observe and what I can theorize."

"If it is any consolation, I did take the time to know Snow. That is why I spent as much time with him as I could. If you recall he and I have been seeing one another for—" Serah was cut off when Lightning placed a hand on her head. "I know. You are a Farron; we all share the same strong mind and judgment of character. I just…did not want to have to let go of you. I admit I was living in my own world of denial. And for that, I apologize."

Serah grinned and embraced her sister's waist. "Lightning…those words mean a lot to me. I was never angry at you, I was only afraid that you have come to hate me." "That is…not possible." Lightning admitted.

_-XIII-_

"I hear that you will be staying in Nifleheim." Fang said, staring straight at Lightning. The queen crossed her arms. "I am needed there, Fang. As Nifleheim's closest ally, it is my duty as queen to answer to the distress of the king." The general groaned. "Yes, but for what reason? Nifleheim, as far as I can recall, is fine on its own." "Some matters are best discussed in private, General Fang." Lightning said, looking at Fang sternly. The huntress raised her hands. "Fine. I understand." "Good." Lightning glanced at the gardens, noticing that it was rather quiet. "The wolf. Has nobody seen him?" Fang shook her head. "Not at all. It is my opinion as a huntress I assume that he is…avoiding we humans. The wolf has problems with his mind as far as I can tell; never has an animal acted so…unnaturally scorned."

Lightning grunted. "I see. As odd as he is, his intelligence gives him an alibi to act as so. If I were to guess, I would say he wishes to leave." "Right you are, Sunshine. However, I did have a small discussion with him. I know he hears me but he was too much of a coward to come out and face me as I spoke." Fang said with a scoff.  
"And what discussion might that be, Fang?" Lightning raised an eyebrow at her general. The huntress shrugged. "I merely said that he better be grateful to you and everybody else in this palace. Were it not for you he would not have survived with in such a condition; being starved, wounded and dehydrated."

"Thank you Fang. But that is not necessary; he will be leaving once he is better. I have said this plenty of times already." Lightning reminded. "Yes, yes I know. But animal or no, he should at least show some respect. Like Odin." Fang smirked and Lightning returned the expression. "Be careful Fang, you might inflate his ego."

Lightning glanced towards the garden again then sighed. "I suppose we should leave him be for the moment. He is a wild beast after all." She moved away from the pillar she had been leaning against and strolled off. Fang sighed and followed behind.

"Serah will be leaving in two days; it gives me enough time to remain at her side. And on the third day I shall journey to Nifleheim." Lightning said, straightening her grey tunic. Fang nodded. "Aye, I hear you. It must be nice seeing her again, yes?" "Yes. I had been wondering if I would ever see her again at all." Lightning admitted.

"The little princess never had the heart to hate you." Fang said reassuringly, earning a nod from the queen. "Yes. And the same applies to me."  
Fang smirked again. "I hear from Serah that you have speculations of Prince Caelum's disappearance." "Yes, though I do not feel like repeating myself at the moment." Lightning said, rubbing her forehead. Her general shook her head. "There is no need; Serah told me of what you had said. But if you want my opinion, I think the prince is a complete and utter _fool_. He should have known Fleuret was merely using him. Tenebrae has always been against us and the Alliance for years. Nifleheim is no exception."

"Mistakes are unavoidable, Fang. No matter how much I and everybody else in the world wish to avoid it, errors are made everyday." Lightning said, "As I had said to Serah, true, he should have taken the time to know his lady love before surrendering his soul to her, but he was not raised the same as I was. I believe he met Fleuret at the age of nineteen and the charade lasted until he was twenty-one. Nineteen-years-old… The prince was still very much a boy instead of a man." Fang scoffed. "You were eighteen and yet you displayed a more…civilized reaction to the matter. From the rumors I hear, the prince wept like spoiled child."

"That is your opinion Fang. And while I agree with half of what you say, it is in the past now." Lightning reminded. Fang raised a hand and clenched her fist. "Past or not, to run away from your country, and to sacrifice your people for a selfish heartbreak is foolish!" "As I said, General Fang; he was not raised the same way as I was. He still has his father and therefore has the freedom that I no longer have. Perhaps when I was still known as a princess, yes, but no longer."

Fang snickered, showing her teeth. "Amusing is it not?"

Lightning stopped walking and glanced at her. "What is?" Fang placed a hand on her shoulder. "Prince Caelum may be a man, but he must bow down to _you_. You are of higher status than him; you are _queen_ while he is still merely a_ prince. _Man or no man, you are above him. If he were king then that would be a different matter entirely. But of course, knowing you for so long I know that even kings will look up upon you." "Indeed? I have not noticed." Lightning's tone suggested that she was not in the least bit interested in the matter.

"I just find it shameful. How old is the prince now? I am aware he is older than you by a few years…" "Three years, as I was told." Lightning corrected. "Ah, you see. If that is so then he must be a man of twenty-four years now. And yet he is somewhere out there, sobbing like a child while you have already outranked him." Fang's smirk widened at the thought.  
Lightning shook her head. "Insulting the prince will make no difference in what had occurred those three years ago." "I am not insulting. I am merely stating facts." Fang defended. "Very well. To each his own…" Lightning muttered.

* * *

Lightning spent as much of her time as she could manage with Serah. Her sister would be going back Palompolum, back to Snow Villiers. As much as she wished for her younger sister to remain in Bodhum longer, duty called out and both of them needed to attend to it.

During Serah's final day, she requested for her and Lightning to visit the wolf again. Lightning merely shrugged and led Serah to the gardens. The sisters waited for a long moment until the sound of familiar paws reached the queen's keen ears.  
The black wolf appeared to them, though he seemed not at all pleased. Lightning took a step closer to the beast. "My sister wished to say farewell. She is leaving today." The wolf looked at the younger monarch then huffed in defeat and laid his body down. Boldly, Serah approached him and touched his muzzle carefully. "It was nice meeting you." She said with a smile.

Noctis remained still as Serah Farron said her goodbyes. When she was finished, he stood back up and ran back into the bushes, not caring if it was practically rude. What did it matter? Animals cared not for etiquette. "I suppose he is beginning to dislike me…" Lightning mused. "No matter. Attachment is something we both wish to avoid."

She led Serah to her carriage where the coachman and his chocobos stood ready.

"Look after yourself." Serah said, holding onto her sister's strong hands. Lightning nodded. "And you as well, Serah. Tell your husband not to do anything foolish, that is, unless he had done something of the sort while you were here. If he did, then tell him not to do it again."  
Serah laughed and embraced Lightning. "Thank you Sister. I wish to stay longer, but I have duties as well." "I know Serah. I am aware." Lightning said, stroking Serah's back comfortingly.

"Safe journey, Serah." Vanille said, taking her turn to wrap her arms around her friend. Fang smiled and stroked the younger Farron's hair. "We will be here if you need us." "Thank you both." Serah said before turning to the carriage and stepping inside. She looked back at her sister and friends, and then at her home before sitting inside the carriage. The coachman closed the door of the carriage and took his seat up on the carriage and drove the chocobos forward. Fang and Vanille bowed down respectfully then returned to the inside of the palace.

Lightning remained and watched silently as the gates of the palace opened to allow the carriage out. The queen watched on until the carriage, and her sister, was out of sight.

With a heavy sigh, Lightning turned on her heels but instead headed for the stables. The moment she entered, she could hear Odin's snorts and neighing greet her. She reached his stall then reached up to touch his smooth face. "She went home, Odin. She will return to Palompolum safely." Odin snorted at his queen. "I am feeling fine, old friend. No need to worry."  
The steed made a sound of disagreement and Lightning smirked at him. "Do you doubt me?" When Odin snorted, Lightning shook her head. "Trust me, Odin. I merely find it difficult to see her go like that. But I suppose that is how life goes. Ah yes, speaking of which… You and I will be going to Nifleheim. Tomorrow. Will you be ready by then?"

Odin neighed proudly and held his head up high.

Lightning chuckled and stroked the horse's strong neck. "Good. I will come to fetch you at dawn." The monarch then left the stables and headed back into the palace.  
Nifleheim was about a five days ride, but with any luck, should they keep running, she and Odin may reach there a day earlier. Lightning ordered the servants to lock the library and her study while she was away and they bowed before running off to do so.

"Are you certain you want to travel to Nifleheim alone? Just you and Odin?" Vanille asked when Lightning retired to her bedchambers for the night. "Yes, I am certain. I need you and Fang here to keep Bodhum safe. I can trust you both with that duty, or am I wrong?" Vanille shook her head. "Bodhum will be safe during your short absence, my queen."

Vanille dressed the queen in fresh garments before leaving for the night. Lightning laid down on her bed, staring at her room's ceiling blankly. Tomorrow would be a five-day long journey; rest is most certainly welcome at the moment.

* * *

"Come Odin."

Odin immediately obeyed and left his open stall to follow Lightning outside. The queen placed the saddle on his back and put the reins on. Lightning's knapsack rested on her back as she mounted her steed. Dressed in a dark cloak, with her armor hidden beneath, Lightning was now prepared for the journey. The sun was still absent from the sky but she knew it was now morning.

As Lightning guided Odin to the palace gates, her eyes widened in surprise when she spied Fang and Vanille waiting there for her.

"We came to see you off." Fang explained. Vanille smiled at the queen warmly. "Take care Lightning. Return as soon as you can." Lightning nodded. "I intend to. Not to worry. Please look after Bodhum while I am gone." Fang and Vanille nodded before they turned their attention to the palace gate. It opened slowly. The general and handmaiden took deep breaths before stepping aside for their queen.

Odin moved forward slowly until Lightning kicked his sides, sending him into a gallop. Vanille and Fang watched as Lightning and Odin disappeared into the dark of the early morning.

The streets of Bodhum were quiet except for the sound of Odin's hooves hitting at the ground as he galloped by. The cool early morning breeze blew past them, sending shivers down Lightning's spine. Not from the cold, but from the excitement.  
Odin felt the same as he neared the main gates of Bodhum. The night watch that stood there immediately opened the large gates, already notified of their queen's journey to Nifleheim. They bowed to her as she and Odin whizzed past the shut the gates as soon as the queen and her steed her outside.

Odin halted for a moment to look back at Bodhum. Lightning did so as well. For a brief moment, they remained in place. Lightning turned her sights forward once more. "Run Odin. Take us to Nifleheim." The mighty beast reared then sped forward.

_-XIII-_

Noctis growled lightly as he paced around his large makeshift nest, made of fallen leaves and dried flowers.

He had heard that Queen Farron had departed to Nifleheim. His home, his country. His kingdom. No doubt his father must have invited her for a social gathering. There was no issue there, but Noctis could not help but feel a nervous chill run down his spine.  
Was his father still looking for him? He hoped to Etro he was not; he did not wish to go back now or ever. There was nothing left there waiting for him either way. All that was left is duty at the palace, nothing more.

He continued to pace, his large tail swayed from side to side in aggravation.

Noctis disliked how slow his recovery was coming along. He had wished to speed the process along, but to no avail. His healing factor seemed to be the same as when he was human. He cursed Etro for not giving his wolf form a more powerful, fast-healing body.  
But he supposed he should be grateful to the goddess for giving him this body; it was better than nothing. Still, he was not in the least bit pleased, and now the queen had gone off on her own to Nifleheim; it was a five-day journey! What had that fool of a queen been thinking? Taking only her horse and herself with her.

He dropped himself onto his nest and huffed disapprovingly. He knew that compared to him, Queen Farron was merely a child. One that had been forced to sit upon the throne before she had reached the age in which she was allowed to do so.  
Multiple times Noctis had wondered how Bodhum has no collapsed while under the rule of a fifteen-year-old child. He had said this to Stella once and she had laughed. Indeed, Noctis had felt the same. Yet despite this, word had spread of the young queen's exploits as a great ruler. However when Stella had been by his side, Noctis cared not of the news from the outside. He had neglected several of his duties, but they could always wait.

Not even his father mattered. Only the love he shared with _her_ mattered to him. He knew that it was the same with her. But oh how he had been mistaken. None of it had been real, not for even a second. But Noctis could not stop, did not want to stop.

The wolf snarled to himself; he wanted to heal and recover in an instant. The sooner he was gone from here, the sooner he would be able to continue with his own life and live by his own decisions and nobody else's.

Looking at the sky, he saw that it was still dark. It was still very early and he assumed that the queen's general and handmaiden had retired to their beds again. Noctis slinked out of the brushes and silently trotted out of the gardens and into the halls of the palace. If the queen was not here at the moment, then he would entertain himself.

He crept to where he knew the library would be. He had memorized each path and hall. The wolf stood still for a moment and within an instant, his shape changed. His body stood upright and the fur vanished from his body, instead a black cloak covered him, hiding underneath it a dark grey tunic. It had been a long time—three years, in fact—since he had been in this shape.

He carefully pushed the doors open but they did not budge. He applied a little more force to it, but the doors did not open. He growled to himself in disbelief; the damn queen had locked the library. Turning away in dejection, Noctis retreated back into the gardens, the black form of the wolf reappearing once again.

Now how was he to keep himself entertained?

_-XIII-_

Lightning hopped down from the apple tree and landed on her feet, her armor made a slight clanking sound at the action. Odin fidgeted impatiently until the queen showed him the apple she held in her hand. She tossed it to him and Odin caught it with ease, devouring the bright red fruit in a mere instant.

"We still have long ways to go." Lightning said as she turned to look at the horizon. They had stopped for a short break as Lightning did not wish to overexert Odin. The horse seemed to have protested but obeyed his queen nonetheless.  
Lightning grabbed her cloak from Odin's back and flung it onto her shoulder's concealing her armor once more. "Come Odin." She mounted the white-maned steed and gently kicked his sides. Odin snorted quietly before exploding forward in a burst of speed.

Should anybody witness them, Lightning and Odin would appear as nothing more than a black-and-white blur on the horizon.

Lightning knew, and even felt Odin's excitement. He had been kept in the stables for a long time now, and to finally run off for longer than he had been allowed to back home in Bodhum, was new and thrilling to the wild stallion.  
"Five days. Are you certain you are able to run for that long?" Lightning was answered with a confident grunt from Odin. She smirked. "I expected no less from you."

* * *

Lightning was familiar with the surroundings and the path she and Odin were taking. No carriage would take their route but since it was merely Odin and herself it was easier to head down this route they were on. Odin had no complaints either as he kept going, undeterred by any obstacles. With ease the noble steed jumped over gaps between ledges and remained on course.

Lightning glanced over her shoulder, silently musing how far they must have traveled from Bodhum. It had been four days since she left but now she was close to Nifleheim, of that she was certain.

Her knapsack hit her back slightly as she rode on, but she paid it no mind as her armor and cloak prevented it from feeling any more irritating. Odin seemed to slow down after another hour or two. Lightning jumped off his back, much to the steed's surprise. "Rest yourself for a while, old friend." Lightning said, settling herself down against a nearby tree.

Taking a look around, Lightning observed how tall the trees around them were. The woods were not too dense or deep but the many trees in the area sometimes blocked out the light of the sun, but not too badly that it made the woods seemed as if it were evening.

Odin bent his legs as he laid his body down beside his master, shaking his head with a snort.

"We won't be staying long, not to worry." Lightning reassured. She knew Odin disliked wasting time almost as much as she did when she grew impatient. But he needed rest, and so did she. The horse whinnied lightly before turning his attention to the apple Lightning took out of her knapsack. The queen noticed then, with ease, ripped the apple into two clean halves.  
Odin took his share and let his queen have hers. The sound of birds chirping and flapping their wings overhead caught Odin's attention. The stallion snorted and neighed. Lightning glanced upwards. "I see… We are indeed close. Come Odin."

Eagerly, the horse stood up and bowed his large head down for his queen to mount his back.

Lightning flung her knapsack into her back once again and climbed onto her steed's saddle. Right away Odin took off. He was now even more excited than ever now that he and his master was close to their destination. Lightning tensed for a brief moment then relaxed; it had been three years since she had visited Nifleheim. She wondered if anything must have changed since then.

"Run Odin!" It was a command the black-horse-with-white-mane and-tail was willing to obey. He burst forward into his greatest speed. It was doubtful anybody would be able to match such swiftness.

The birds that flew above them were native to Nifleheim; it was a clear sign that the young queen and her steed were now within the borders of their allied country.  
Odin snorted and turned towards the right, puzzling Lightning. The great stallion's choice of direction brought him to an uphill slope that overlooked the area. Lightning smirked; Odin was a sly beast indeed. She should have known.

Odin halted and stared down from the high slope, Lightning followed his gaze.

Carriages pulled by the most excellent breed of chocobos were heading towards the kingdom of Nifleheim. Lightning recognized the insignia that were printed on the banners that were held high the by the guards escorting the carriage. Odin snorted again before moving into a trot.  
Once they were down from the slope, they were back in the woods, but now as Odin broke into a gallop, Lightning knew they were ahead of the other royal guests.

As soon as they were out from behind the trees, Lightning could easily see the tall tower of Nifleheim's palace. She looked at the sky; it was almost noon. She released the breath she had been holding, grateful that they were able to reach Nifleheim a day earlier than intended; though it was mostly due to Odin refusing to rest a few days prior.

But hopefully now he may be able to receive his well-earned rest at the palace stables.

As the companions neared the gates, the guards who stood watch stiffened. They recognized the beast right away. Only the queen of Bodhum possessed a horse, and a magnificent horse at that; there was nobody else. They immediately opened the gates and Odin trotted into Nifleheim slowly, politely.

It was just as Lightning remembered. Nifleheim in all its glory has changed somewhat but it was still as beautiful as she had remembered seeing it as years ago. Of course it was only natural that several improvements were made; now it was as if the raid that Tenebrae had brought upon the kingdom had never occurred. "Take us to the palace." Lightning said in Odin's ear. The stallion grunted and trotted on towards the grand gates of the palace.

The guards watched as Lightning approached while astride on her stallion. She brought her arm out of her cloak and presented the men with the invitation, revealing part of her armor and the shield that clung to her arm.

The guards stiffened in recognition upon seeing the shield. They ordered the palace gates open and bowed before the young queen as they allowed her to enter. It seems that several guests had arrived already but not all since there were still a few more on the way and not too far behind.  
The stable master approached Lightning, bowing to her as she dismounted Odin. "My Lady, if I may, I shall bring your steed into the stables now." Lightning nodded and stroked Odin's neck. "Take care of him." The man nodded and guided Odin to the royal stables while Lightning entered the palace.

As she entered into the grand hall, she was greeted by several servants. "Lady Farron. The king has been expecting your presence."

"Lead me to him." Lightning ordered. They bowed and led her down the hall to the king's study. "He awaits within." The servant said before bowing once more and excusing themselves.  
Queen Farron steeled herself then brought up her fist and knocked. After a moment of silence a gruff voice allowed her inside.

Lightning pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

The light of the noon spilled through the large windows that stood behind the desk of the king. Lord Giovanni stood there, gazing out of the window. Lightning bowed her head at him, placing a hand over her chest. "Lord Giovanni."

The king of Nifleheim turned and smiled tiredly. "Ah, Queen Farron." He moved away from the window and approached the young monarch. "My, you have certainly grown. It has been…three years, was it?" Lightning nodded. Giovanni chuckled. "What a fine woman you have become. And it seems you have grown tall once again; I am impressed. I hear Bodhum is doing very well, not so surprising since you are its ruler."

"You overestimate me, Lord Giovanni." Lightning said humbly.

The king of Nifleheim held a hand up. "Ah but they are true. It is as expected of Lord Adonis' daughter." Lightning lowered her head upon hearing her late father's name. She cleared her throat and changed the topic, "I understand that you wished to speak with me concerning private matters?" "Ah, yes, indeed. But please do rest yourself first for the dinner tonight; we shall speak in private after that." Giovanni insisted as he guided the young queen out of his study. "Feel free to sleep in the guest chambers as long as you wish, I am sure you remember where they are located." Lightning bowed her head once more. "Very well then. Until tonight, Sire."

As she strolled down the hall, she faintly hears the gentle sound of the study's door's closing.

_-XIII-_

Lightning had been restless once she had settled into the guest chamber. She had slept for perhaps only an hour or so but that did not help ease her mind much. Instead she had turned to cleaning her blade and spending time in the palace's library until the evening came and the dinner was being prepared.

She dressed herself in her formal royal tunic of blue-and-white. Etro's script, the very same that had been engraved onto her shield, was printed onto the middle of the tunic's white chest. The sleeves down to the bottom and, the collar of her tunic were blue and were complimented by her dark breeches. A gold-colored belt was wrapped around her waist while her feet wore black boots. Once she was prepared, she left her room and allowed the servants to bring her to the dining hall.

Already the guests were seated at the long table, Lord Giovanni at the head.

The servant guided her to an empty chair, on Giovanni's right side. Lightning strolled over and seated herself. The king smiled at her welcomingly and nodded. Among the guests were Cid Raines, Kaine Highwind, Cecil Harvey and his queen Rosa, and several others who were known to be acquaintances of Giovanni.

The king stood and raised his golden goblet in the air. "Welcome friends to this simple gathering. I thank you all for accepting my invitation, and please do enjoy yourselves." The guests raised their own goblets as Giovanni sat back down.  
Lightning crossed her arms and stared at the silver plate before her. Giovanni leaned towards her. "Something troubles you Lady Lightning?" He asked quietly. Lightning shook her head. "Forgive my rudeness. I merely have plenty of thoughts in my mind at the moment." The king nodded in understanding then turned his attention to one of his guests.

The table was full of light chatter and the gentle clattering of silverware cutlery as dinner went on. Lightning avoided speaking to anybody at the table; her current mood was against listening to hearsay and joining in with the meaningless prattle. However, fortune was not on her side on this night.

"Lady Farron how had your journey here fared?" Raines asked as he placed his goblet to his lips to sip his wine. Lightning resisted the urge to glare at the man. "Rather tiresome but that did not bother me nor did it bother my horse."  
Giovanni watched the young queen, noticing her body language. Lightning Farron was in no mood to speak to others at this moment, but she behaved civilized until Raines ceased his attempt to chat with her. Lady Rosa noticed this as well and left Lightning alone.

The dinner continued until it was well into the late hours. The guests had all insisted to rest at the inn before setting off tomorrow.

However, Lightning knew her case was different. She was to remain here in Nifleheim to discuss matters with King Giovanni. Once the guests have departed, Lightning glanced at Giovanni. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Clean yourself up and meet me at my study."

Lightning nodded and returned to her chambers.

Her head was throbbing from the endless chattering she had to endure at the dinner. Though it was indeed a simple gathering between few friends, she simply could not stand the noises around her at the table. Lightning inhaled slowly then exhaled, attempting to calm herself.  
It was probably best that she avoided such feeling of irritation for now. She moved to the wash basin that sat on the table in the room. She splashed the water onto her face and the droplets trickled down her cheeks and down to her chin.

She stripped herself of the formal tunic and donned a simple white tunic before heading off to meet Giovanni in his study.

She arrived and entered without knocking this time, knowing full well that he had expected her at this very moment. Giovanni was seated on a chair, staring at the fire that he had started in his study's fireplace. Lightning moved closer then stopped and watched him for a moment, neither of the monarchs moved for what felt like hours until he spoke. "I am sure you were aware of something being amiss."

Lightning nodded. "Yes. Your son, the prince is gone from here."

Giovanni sighed heavily and dropped his head, slouching over from where he sat. "I have not seen nor heard from him for three years now. And while I am fully aware that my son is capable of protecting himself, I still worry for him." "He is your son; it is a natural feeling and instinct as his father." Lightning reasoned. Giovanni nodded then sat upright and pressed his back against the back of the chair. "True. But I am afraid there is more to it. I am sure you heard that my son disappeared, however…"

"He left on his own will." She guessed.

The king looked ashamed. "Yes. But it is my fault; I should have protected my son more effectively than I had those years ago. If only I had remained by his side…perhaps…"  
"Tenebrae would have raided your kingdom regardless. Your son was just a tool in order to make their plans work more easily; seduce the prince and he will be vulnerable and so will the kingdom's secrets. Do not worry; Nifleheim was not Tenebrae's only victim." Lightning's expression was that of a stern and no-nonsense politician. "Regardless of whether he had encountered Fleuret or not, the result would have still remained the same."

"I still feel that I should have forbidden him from ever approaching that vile woman!" Giovanni was full of self-loathing as he spoke.

Lightning shook her head. "No. Telling him not to speak with her would have resulted in the same events I am afraid." When the king looked at her, she explained, "It is human nature, especially in young ones, to be curious and to seek dangers and thrills. Had you restricted him from speaking with Fleuret, your son would have become more curious and intrigued. And that curiosity would prompt him; urged him even more to speak to her. Saying no and refusing a request would only make the person desire it more. It is sadly the nature we were both blessed and cursed with."

Giovanni hit his fist against the arm of his chair. "Damn those Tenebrians!" He held his head in his hands and his shoulders shook from the strain of his son's missing presence.

"You are not at fault, Lord Giovanni. Though if I may be so bold…" The king nodded, signaling for her to speak freely. "Your son was merely naïve. Man or woman, it is easy to be drawn in and seduced by outer beauty especially if one found that beauty to be an enigma. The inner ugliness of the enigma is well-hidden and disregarded by the victim in favor of the outer shell. People wish to only look at the face that is worn in front of them rather than the beast that is hidden beneath the mask made of wax. And your son was easily a victim to such."

Giovanni said nothing and Lightning continued. "Had Prince Caelum spent more time observing than touching and wooing, he would have at least seen hints of Fleuret's hidden intentions. However, I believe that the notion of a first love was too exciting that he rushed everything, disregarding what it may do to him and everyone else around him. But once his fantasy was destroyed…denial is all there is." Giovanni laughed bitterly. "I was in denial as well my Lady. I was just as fooled as my poor son was; I had thought that by allowing Noctis to reach out to that woman, her nature, her cruelty may vanish because of his undying devotion. However…"

Lightning nodded her head in understanding. "It is a romantic fairytale everybody wishes for. To love an evil sinner and them changing their ways because of your love for them; it is written in many children's bedtime stories. Indeed, there are few who are fortunate enough to experience such a thing. _However_…" Lightning crossed her arms and moved to the window to gaze out. "It is not always true; as much as we wished it was not so, there are those whose souls are as blackened as their heart and they cannot change. There are those who are beyond reaching out to, beyond saving. And that is a fact that many wish to deny."

"Yes, I know that now. If only I had done something, if only I had been more firm on my son instead of allowing him to gallop wherever; he is _man_ not a boy for Etro's sake!" The king clenched his fists then stood up.

"The romantic notion of it all was too seductive, too tempting, and too thrilling. No man or woman could be able to resist. Which is why Tenebrae had decided to have your son seduced to the point that his entire soul would be controlled by a mere _false_ gaze of love from their princess. I do not wish to offend, Highness. I merely say this as my opinion and theories." Lightning reassured.  
King Caelum sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Yes, I understand. Do not worry about me; my heart is not that weak yet! I still have much spirit left in me." "I do admit was nearly fooled by the charade as well; my general and I have placed wager on how long it would be until a wedding be announced. However we all know how it ended and neither of us had won the wager."

"Indeed?" Giovanni looked genuinely surprised. Lightning nodded. "Indeed. Though I was told that my face had lacked the expression of shock. I suppose I still distrusted Tenebrae deep inside of me."

"If only my son and I had the same right mind…" The king mused sadly. "Your son's upbringing is different from mine." Her words held no arrogance of the sort. Giovanni nodded in silent agreement.

The young queen looked at the king's reflection on the window. "Love is a double-edged sword. Bind yourself with your one true match and you will forever remain in a paradise on earth. But bind yourself to the wrong person and you, as well as everything you have shall be abused until you are left with naught but a bleeding heart and pride. And worse still, it is becoming rather difficult to see the difference between love and lust."

"What else have you heard of my son?"

"Only that he disappeared or left. Nothing more."

"I see…"

Lightning turned to face Giovanni. "Is there something I must know, Sire?" "Nay. I am just worrying too much…" He said in a low voice. The queen stared and decided that there was indeed something he was keeping from her. But she supposed it was none of her concern.

"I assume that you wish for me to keep a lookout for your son should he ever pass Bodhum?" Lightning said changing topics, for which the king was grateful for. "Yes, please do. If you can afford to do so that is; your duties are of more importance." "As the ruler of the country that has been ally to Nifleheim for so many years, it is my privilege to do as you request." Lightning reassured.

Giovanni breathed with relief. "You have my eternal debt, Queen Lightning. Indeed you are fit to rule Bodhum. Long may you reign." "I am honored by your words," Was Lightning's humble response.

Giovanni approached the younger monarch and held her hands in his. It was the touch of a father. "I owe you so much, young one. I intend to repay you for all you have done for me and my country, and I intend to do so with telling you this: my scouts have been watching Tenebrae for some time and several nights ago they had returned with their report. As you have said before; Nifleheim is not their only victim…" His expression turned grim.

Lightning tensed and steeled herself for whatever the king may say. Giovanni looked right into her eyes. "Tenebrae plans to strike Bodhum in fifteen days' time."

* * *

**I will end the chapter here.**

**I want to explain something first as to avoid any confusion. Lightning is merely speaking from what she observes and theorizes, so she is not criticizing Noctis whatsoever. She is merely stating the harsh bitter truths that Noctis himself cannot even face or accept. Also, Lightning's words "mask made of wax" was inspired by how some sculptors in the old times, around perhaps the age of gladiators or after that, would use wax to cover their mistake should they mess up somewhere on their sculpture. To say "wax" is basically pointing out that it was all false and not real or there is falseness. Which is why Lightning said this line. And to say "without wax" would be saying "without falseness."**

**Hope that clears things a bit. But if you have any questions regarding anything else you don't get then let me know and I will try to answer them.**

**I have enjoyed writing this chapter, though there were moments where I had to stop and catch my breath for a moment and take a break, I am glad that it turned out decent enough. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Let me know what you think and thoughts on the story are welcomed as well. Enjoy the story and I will see you again in the next chapter.**

**Until then…**


	9. Chapter IX: Préparation et Déchirures

**Disclaimer: ****A big thanks to all your readers out there who have taken the time to read and enjoy, and review Sanctuaire so far. I will surely work hard on the story and more is still yet to come!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter IX: Préparation et Déchirures**

"_Fifteen days_?" Fang slammed the letter on the table. Vanille flinched at the harsh sound. "Just be thankful that Lightning's letter had managed to reach us in no time at all!" The handmaiden reasoned. The two of them had been busy chatting in the kitchens when the messenger had arrived to give Fang the queen's letter.

Fang groaned and stared at the paper. Lightning had sent a message to the palace, specifically to Fang, to alert her of Tenebrae's intentions. "Fifteen days… Damn those Tenebrae fiends! Were they not entertained by the destruction they caused three years ago in Nifleheim?" Fang raged. She had been grateful that the queen's message reached her; now she would be able to alert the men of the raid that is to come.

"Lightning had planned on staying in Nifleheim for a while." Vanille said, "But it seems that she may be changing her plans." Fang nodded. "I am sure… I best tell the men to start preparing for Tenebrae's attack. They will need to double their training as well as the security of the palace." The general left, leaving Vanille to wonder how Lightning was feeling at the moment. The queen might be stressing over the sudden information that King Caelum had given to her. Of course at the same time it was not all that surprising; Tenebrae—darkness was the meaning of its name—was allied to the most notorious kingdoms in all the continents, being a rather cruel and notorious country as well.

Midgar, Arcadia, and Palamecia were simply just a few of the kingdoms that desired riches and lusted for power. These kingdoms also opposed those of the Alliance; the allied kingdoms. Bodhum was one of the kingdoms within the alliance, along with Nifleheim, Esthar, Balamb, and Alexandria to name a few.

The Alliance held respect for one another and would not hesitate to come to the aid of an ally, should they be called. Lightning was the youngest and most respected monarch among the Alliance. It had been easy for other monarchs to grow impressed with the young queen due to her age and the skills she possessed for one of her age.

Vanille had been with Lightning for a very long time since their childhood; she knew well what the young queen was like, and despite the change Lightning had made in herself Vanille had adapted well to her friend's new persona and outlook. But the one thing that had never changed in Lightning was her humbleness and her strong mind, will, and determination.

"I hope you are well Lightning…" Vanille whispered into the air before leaving the kitchen to begin her daily chores.

* * *

"I will have to decrease the number of stays to just one day." Lightning announced to Giovanni as she stood before him while he worked at his desk in his study. The king looked up at her then sighed, "Yes, I figured as much. Of course the news I had given you is reason enough to wish you were already home." Lightning bowed her head in respect. "My apologies."

Giovanni waved her off. "Now, now. There is no need for that; I would have had the same thoughts if I were in your situation." "I am not worried for my soldiers; General Fang is most certainly doing her duty in preparing them for the raid. My only concerns are the citizens and my presence; I will be needed to lead the army." Lightning said, crossing her arms.

"Indeed. The ruler must always be there in the front ranks to lead their armies to victory." The king mumbled as he clasped his hands together in thought.

Lightning glanced over her shoulder. "If I may, Sire…I wish to use your palace's training grounds while I am here. I too need to prepare for this raid that is about to befall my kingdom." Giovanni stared at her for a long moment then sighed. "Very well; do what you must, Lady Farron." Lightning bowed to him in respect before she left the king alone in his study.

She was anxious but she held it in, knowing that the slightest irrational move could mean her country's risk in safety. Training was her only outlet and it was a way for her to prepare herself. Fang was most probably already putting the soldiers on high alert at the palace and all over Bodhum. No doubt the citizens will be well aware and keep themselves in a safe place when the time comes. However, Lightning intended to make sure that the soldiers of Tenebrae would not even step one single foot inside the gates of Bodhum.

Upon arriving to the training grounds, Lightning outstretched her hand and her silver blade materialized in her hand.

With a quick swing, she began practicing her sword strikes and moved with unmatched power and swiftness. She struck the air just as her namesake would, turning into a blur that would be easy for one to miss should they not pay close attention; Lightning trained in both power and speed, making her a rather balanced fighter. Indeed, it was rather difficult to be able to master to attributes at once, but the young queen's stubbornness and determination had surely rewarded her with much progress.

The moment news of Tenebrae had been given to her by Giovanni, Lightning had immediately changed her plans and had decided to stay in Nifleheim for merely one day. In two days Tenebrae would begin their march to Bodhum and by tomorrow, she would be returning to her kingdom. And by the time she would have reached Bodhum, she'd have ten days to prepare for the raid.

It seems that Tenebrae had fancied themselves powerful enough to overtake any kingdom with just a mere raiding platoon. Arrogance would be their downfall. Lightning's eyes focused, staring ahead, never losing her concentration. Her arms swung her sword around, creating small gusts with her speed with every practice strike.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

She repeated the action several times before her eyes shot open once more. In the blink of an eye, she stepped forward and blew past the nearest wooden practice target. The humanoid figure then split into two clean halves before falling onto the dirt ground with a light thud.  
Not enough; she still felt the need to grow stronger. She needed to best even herself if were to protect her kingdom. She had fought in and came out victorious in a war when she had been merely a girl of sixteen. No one would have expected such a young girl to survive such a fierce battle, but she did. Nonetheless, she still had much to learn. She needed to grow stronger.

Deciding to rest for a moment, Lightning dismissed her sword and glanced at the sky. By now Serah would have returned to Palompolum safely.

How she missed her dear younger sister already. Though Serah has practiced the way of the sword, she was not as proficient with a blade as Lightning and Fang were. However, she hands surprisingly found home with the use of a bow and arrow.  
It impressed Lightning how her younger sister held her bow and aimed with shockingly impressive accuracy. Serah had held the bow and the arrow with steady hands and her eyes kept focus on the target before her despite the distracting sounds around her. And when Serah released the arrow, the iron tip struck—into the dead center of the target. Though Serah was perfect with a bow, Lightning wanted to make sure her sister was prepared for any kind of attack and had insisted Serah also wear a sword at her side as a secondhand weapon.

Like Vanille, Serah was the least violent and made use of her studies of herbs that she had learned with Vanille during their childhood. Of course, Lightning herself learned these medical lessons herself should she need to recover her body quickly, but her skills mostly laid in combat.

The sound of birds fluttering their wings and launching themselves from the nearby trees brought the queen down from her daydream. She then recalled the wolf she kept in her garden. With the raid approaching she wondered how the beast would react to an invasion. Hopefully he would have regained enough strength to run for a safer haven in the woods once she returned to Bodhum to release him.

It was odd; she felt rather uncomfortable letting him go, even just the thought of it. But all natural beauty must return to where they belong where they will be safe from the filthy hands of man.

Lightning left the training grounds, feeling the need to calm her mind. She soon found herself in the royal garden; though it was not as large as a forest like her palace's garden was, it was still too beautiful. Full of green and other colors from the flowers that surrounded the area.  
She approached the rose bushes and stared; thorns adorned the stems of every one of the flowers. Carefully, Lightning cupped the flower and gazed upon its red beauty. She had been once told by her mother that roses meant more than just love.

It was also the symbol of secrets, beauty…the others were vague to her. It has been too long since she had heard it from her mother. But now she was gone forever; nothing can bring her back.

Lightning shook her head from the distracting memories. She needed to focus on preparing herself for Tenebrae's raid. There was no time for idle pining for the past now. Turning on her heels, she returned to the palace halls and to her room.  
She locked the door then walked to the center of the room and sat down on her knees, closing her eyes. She meditated; clearing her mind from all worldly and distracting thoughts. She blocked out any sound that emerged from within and beyond the walls, only focusing on her mind's clearness. She relaxed her body relaxed and muscles released their tension.

To her, all seemed quiet as she remained still, focusing, and concentrating.

Time seemed to go by but Lightning released a sigh and opened her eyes. Getting to her feet, she dusted her breeches and tunic off and rubbed her temples. A question had bothered her but she had kept it within her mind the whole time.  
Why had Tenebrae decided to unleash an attack upon Bodhum? Usually, among all nations, Bodhum was thought to be Tenebrae's less favored victims, which was slightly understandable as Bodum was a modest seaside country despite its many riches and abundance in land, and its stable economy. The people were humble and looked up to the royal family.

Only one reason came to Lightning's mind; Tenebrae was becoming desperate.

The raid on Nifleheim three years ago had been Tenebrae's most greatest raid and from that attack the dark kingdom had been meant to obtain the Caelums' crystal at last, assisting them with their rise in power. However, they had underestimated Prince Noctis' will and mind; their heiress fell by the prince's blade and broken heart born from the scorn he obtained from the deceit. Bodhum's aid had also been unexpected.

Had it not been for Lightning sending scouts to remain and keep watch at Nifleheim's borders, then surely the kingdom of the Caelum line would have vanished forever, along with the crystal.

But now with the news of the dark kingdom's attempt at Bodhum, Lightning could only conclude that they were becoming more cautious, attempting to plan carefully despite their desperation. It seems that they had thought to strike down the kingdoms they had deemed useless and weak until only Nifleheim was left standing alone with no aid from allies to ride to their side.  
Lightning clenched her fists. If they had deemed Bodhum and the Farron line weak, then she was to prove them otherwise by striking them down before they could even touch the lands that belonged to her family.

Lightning turned to her armor which lay in a corner of the room. She touched the majestic silver of her chest plate then over the golden bird that rested there. Her eyes glanced at her shield and the engraving of Etro's script. "Devine Etro, guide my sword and my people's souls." She whispered to the shield's engraving.

Despite her title as the Goddess of Death, Etro was said to be kind and compassionate with her share of mistakes, however many scholars had justified that it was due to her attempts to only protect mankind. Etro had a love for the humans and deemed them worthy of her protection.

It was said that royal families were humans who had been chosen by Etro to rule over and protect the humans; to keep and restore order among men. But only those of pure mind and soul were worthy of the monarch title, for they were appointed by Etro to be the human keepers of peace. And upon them was bestowed the power of the crystals.  
Scholars of old had written of Etro pleading with the Goddess of Harmony, Cosmos, to allow the chosen monarchs and their bloodline the power of the crystals; it was to protect and provide them with power needed to watch over the lands they had been assigned to watch over.

Cosmos had felt her sister's love for the mortals and granted Etro her request.

It was then that each royal family was given the crystals. Powers that was able to rival even the gods themselves. But in exchange for the crystal's powers, the chosen monarchs must protect it as their most precious and secret treasure for it served as the kingdom's beacon and the source of strength for the ruling family. As long as they crystal remained in the kingdom or unscathed, the country is sure to be safe from any transgression.

However, there were those who came to lust for more power and abused the light their crystals. They are known as _Cruor Mucro._ They who too are chosen monarchs but abuse and lust for more power and would not hesitate to strike down other kingdoms in order to obtain it.

Cruor Mucro opposed those of the Alliance; kingdoms who have sworn loyalty and their protection of each other and their kingdoms. The day that these two very differing alliance came to be was he day that mankind had began discriminating one another. The monarchs of Cruor Mucro defied the laws and disobeyed the duties handed to them by Etro while the Alliance remains faithful to their oath. Cruor Mucro desired power and blood, riches and complete order, while the Alliance desired peace, justice, law, and equality.

Lightning ran her hand over the Etro script. "Yes…that is our duty. The oath of the Alliance."

The day was still light but it will grow late soon, the queen noticed. Before she could leave her room, Giovanni entered himself, looking rather worn. "My apologies, Lady Farron. Something the matter? You seem rather restless." "Think nothing of it…" Lightning brushed his concern off with a simple shrug.

"I understand your feelings of distress. But I have faith that your army is already preparing themselves for the battle." Giovanni reassured. Lightning shook her head. "I am not worried about that. I am more concerned about the citizens. I do intend to make sure that I meet Tenebrae's raid army before they reach the gates of my kingdom. However, if they were somehow able to sneak past, I need to make sure that the people are safe and the crystal well-guarded."  
The king nodded in understanding. "Yes, of course… And after the tragedy that befell my country, I had the crystal moved to a much safer location." "That is wise indeed." Lightning agreed, still slightly distracted.

Giovanni watched her, silently. He could not remember the last time he had seen this child—compared to him—of a queen smile. During her infancy she had been a beautiful babe with lovely blue eyes and a big smile on her tiny mouth.  
When she was a young girl she was shy towards strangers but also curious and rather interested in learning about anything new that she had seen or encountered. But now as a woman she was silent and solemn. Not a single smile reached her lips, but if it did, then it never touched her eyes.

As a man who was a father of his own offspring, Giovanni felt his heart sink for this lonely queen. Never had he seen such a young soul so full of sadness and despair over her loss despite her strong will. Of course it was only natural for nobody could face the sadness of losing one's family.

Now only two of the Farron bloodline remained; Lightning and Serah Farron.

However with Serah married to Lord Villiers, both the Farron and Villiers line may continue. But that now only left Lightning alone. The queen was known to be rather buried into her duties as ruler and protector of her country. Indeed she was impressive and dedicated, but none had ever seen her rest or enjoy a beautiful day outside. Perhaps briefly, but never long enough to fully enjoy the world's glory.

As a father and close ally of the Farron line, Giovanni felt a swell of sadness surge in his chest. If Lady Farron had been his daughter he would have wrapped his arms around her and whisper words of comfort to his child. Oh how he missed the days when he could hold his son Noctis in his arms when his son had been a mere infant and young boy. But he was now a man, independent and now missing for three years. And it was partly his fault for not doing his duty as a father.

Giovanni then felt a gentle hand cup his cheek and wipe away a tear he had not noticed fall down his face. Lightning stared at him curiously. "Tears, Lord Giovanni? Is something on _your_ mind?"

The king felt surprised. It was rare to see the young monarch display such compassion openly. And her hands, which had been said to be strong and held power beyond her years, were surprisingly gentle like a young innocent child's. Her gentle gesture alone told him of the kindness she hid underneath her name and her solemn nature and cold eyes.  
Her secretly gentle hand reminded him of when his family had once been complete; he was reminded of his mother, of his wife, and of his son. Noctis had once touched his face when Giovanni had cried of Lucia—his queen and wife, and Noctis' mother. Giovanni had forced himself to remain strong for his growing son but perhaps he had tried too hard. He wondered at times if his son truly hated him that time as well.

The king looked away in shame, covering his face. "Ah, yes. Not to worry, Lady Farron…something must have entered my eyes…"

Lightning nodded. "Yes well…feel free to speak with me should you need any consultation. I may not be as wise as an old scholar but I will do my best." The king smiled. It was a smile that a father would show to his child. "Thank you. I am fine now, but I will take your offer into consideration."  
"Very well." Lightning said and began to leave her room. "Excuse me for a moment, Lord Giovanni. I must seek a scholar here. There is something I wish to research on." The king nodded and Lightning left the room.

Once out of sight, Lightning headed for the stables where Odin rested amongst the other stalls full of beauty well-bred chocobos.

The horse looked up from his feeding box and spotted his mistress. He neighed and she approached him, touching his snout. "Come. I must run an errand." She opened the stall and Odin stepped out, obviously now well-rested. Lightning placed the saddle on his back and the reins over his head. She mounted her steed's back and Odin walked towards the palace gates.  
The Nifleheim guards bowed and opened the gates for the royal guest. Lightning gently kicked Odin and the horse galloped forwards into the town.

Lightning glanced at the palace. The king had cried in front of her but he had looked away, too ashamed to show his tears to her. She understood; King Giovanni was perhaps one of the only people she could truly empathize with. She knew he longed to see and hold his son again. Lightning felt the emptiness that had entered her when Serah left. Though she always returned home, and for that Lightning was eternally grateful.

But what of Lord Giovanni? Would his son ever decide to return home to see his father? Lightning placed a hand on her chest, over her heart while her other hand remained clutching Odin's reins. If she ever saw the prince, she intended to bring him back to his father whether he desired it or not; she lost her own father, and she would be damned if she did not make the prince see how much his father loved him.

* * *

Giovanni had returned to his study and seated himself by the fireplace.

He stared at the burning flames and its dance reflected in his eyes. His heart quivered with loneliness as he sat there. After the passing of Lucia, he had focused all his attention on the kingdom and on his son. He did his best to offer to love and care to young Noctis, even taking the time to teach him all he knew about the way of the sword.

His son had been a wonderful protégé, mastering everything his father had taught him. He was attentive, clever, and strong.

When Noctis' human body was given the form of a black wolf, he would have done all in his power to find a way to reverse it. But Noctis had refused; his blue eyes had been cold and full of despair. He had only turned away, saying perhaps it was best that he had been given the body of a beast. Then, without saying so much as a "Goodbye", Noctis ran. Giovanni chased after his only son until Noctis dashed through the gates of Nifleheim, startling the guards.  
The aging king had not the strength to continue running. He could only watch as his child disappeared into the wilderness. Giovanni had locked himself in his study after that, staring out of his window, hoping and wishing his only family would return home to him.

After losing his queen, losing his son was twice as painful. He knew Noctis would survive, but not knowing where he was or if he would ever see his son again caused Giovanni's world to come crashing around him. He continued his duties as king, but without his son at his side he was unsure if he could continue working efficiently.

His son was his pride and joy, and the only love left in his life. He loved him to no end, even after his son had allowed himself to fall head over heels with the Tenebrian princess. Despite the events three years ago, he never blamed his son. He had brought his arms around his fully-grown boy but Noctis pushed him away, his eyes had been empty.

Giovanni had left him be, giving him his space and time. But perhaps he should have done more for his son. How we wished he had. He should have been stronger, he should have insisted, but his best efforts were not enough for his son had run off.

Now as he looked at Bodhum's young queen, he was reminded of his son and the despair he suffered. They were nearly alike in a way. He saw Lord Adonis, late king of Bodhum, as his brother. And for that, he saw Lightning as perhaps a child of his own as well. He knew Lightning's mother and father had felt the same about Noctis. The bond between their kingdoms was strong like their friendship. The king sighed heavily and placed his head in his hands as he slouched over.

His shoulders shook. He had failed his son and his son hated him, he knew.

If only he could return to those years ago, he would then make things right and his son would still be here with him. His son would still be in the palace, reading or practicing his sword arm, or sitting here with him, speaking and asking him questions or seeking advice.  
Giovanni felt his heart break once again. Where had he gone wrong? What could he have done to prevent this? Perhaps if he had spoken to Noctis more, comforted his son more, then perhaps…

"Lucia… What am I to do?" He looked up at the large painting of his wife, holding his newborn son with a smile on her face. "Forgive me. I failed you, and I failed our son… Forgive me…"

Giovanni's mind raced. He recalled first meeting his wife and the smiles she threw his way. He remembered the first night they spent together, the time when Noctis was born and the joy they felt. Their final moments together, and his young son's smiles and comforting words and gestures… He recalled watching Noctis as he grew into a fine man and the pride that swelled in his heart every time he looked at his son. Lucia would have been proud as well.

The king of Nifleheim did not stop himself this time. He allowed himself to fall from his chair and onto his knees, his head bowed down as tears poured down his cheeks as he cried.

* * *

**First of all I wish to apologize for this short chapter. And forgive me for any errors; after all we all make mistakes right? I do check on my fics once in a while to correct any errors so I hope that makes you guys feel a bit better.**

**This chapter was merely to show Fang and Vanille preparing for Tenebrae's raid, and what Lightning is doing in the meantime while in Nifleheim. It is not really a war, but the amount of soldiers that would be marching to Bodhum is still plentiful enough to consider it a mini war.**

_**Cruor Mucro**_** is Latin, which translates to "Blood Sword". The Alliance consists of the kingdoms and/or hometowns of the main protagonists of the Final Fantasy series, while Cruor Mucro consists of the antagonists and opposes the more just and humble ones of the Alliance. More of the history of the kingdoms as well as the two different sides of the monarchy will be revealed in later chapters, but for now, this chapter will give you an idea.**

**I also wanted to thank my friend VenusRose252 for inspiring the name "Adonis" for Lightning's father. **

**And I want to thank every one of you for reading and reviewing Sanctuaire and my other stories; "Chronicles" and a bit of "Eternal Shadows" and "All for One". The next chapter will be up soon and a little longer than this one. Because, like I mentioned, this chapter is just showing the characters getting up and preparing. But they have fifteen days so they will have more than time.**

**But as always leave me a question should anything confuse you and I will do my best to answer it. If it doesn't cause any spoilers that is. But not to worry I will answer anything else you need to know.**

**Until then…**


	10. Chapter X: Face à face

**Disclaimer: ****I am glad all of you enjoyed the last chapter! I really felt the emotions stir in me as I wrote the last scene. I also want to remind you that reading is for your enjoyment so if you dislike the pairings or anything about this story, then do not read it as to avoid any disagreements. But if you do enjoy reading but dislike some factors then please keep the negative thoughts to yourself and please enjoy the story with the others. However, if there is something you want to point out or correct then let me know and I will see to them unless I intended for it to be that way for the story, but I of course I will let you know first. I am also glad that many of you are finding tiny details such as the Odin-Lightning friend nice to read and I do enjoy writing it. And I thank you for liking it.**

**But I will just leave the rest of this speech for the end. So first and foremost, please read and enjoy to your hearts' content!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter X: ****Face à face**

Lightning kicked Odin's sides as she rode on to Bodhum.

She had left Nifleheim early in the morning, at the hour of one. Giovanni had walked with her to the gates of Nifleheim to see her off. The young queen could still see the image of the king's slouched form in her mind. She had returned to the palace from visiting a scholar in town, only to find King Giovanni on his knees and sobbing in his study, by the fire.

"_Lord Giovanni!"_

"_Leave me be for a moment…"_

"_I doubt that would do any good."_

"_Forgive me; I had hoped to avoid encounters such as this…"_

"_There is no need, Lord Giovanni. Something troubles you?"_

"_It is nothing of importance. An aging man such as myself do have moments of weakness."_

"_This is about your son, or am I wrong?"_

"… _Yes."_

"_He is lucky to still have you, your son. Should I see him I will be sure to bring him here."_

"…_You are too kind, young queen."_

"_I am anything but kind…"_

Lightning's eyes narrowed; the prince should consider himself fortunate that his father was still living and breathing. However, with the way the king had sobbed, she had her doubts.  
Still, she was intent on keeping her promise to the king that she would keep a lookout for his son. And as for herself, she intended on knocking sense into the missing heir. As simple as it sounded Lightning knew it was anything but since she had not seen his face since she had been a mere girl of three.

She only remembered, albeit vaguely, the face of a young boy of six years with dark midnight hair and blue eyes that was of a darker shade than hers; visiting Bodhum with his father. Lightning recalled following him wherever he had gone, out of curiosity since he had been a stranger to her.  
But the prince had been more focused on spending time with the three other, older boys who had arrived at the palace with him. Lightning had left him be but as a mere girl of three she observed the prince to be like a typical villager boy.

Of course Lord Giovanni had tried to convince his young son to play with the little princess. However, being a headstrong boy, he refused and continued to instead play with his friends. And Lightning as a girl who was too young to understand most things, thought nothing of it.

Again she reminded herself that it was all in the past now; the prince was now a full-grown man who now cared of none other than himself all because of a loss that was not even worth his tears. If anything, he should be grateful for such a loving father.  
Lightning was pulled back to reality when Odin neighed. Her steed had slowed to a trot and had turned his head slightly to look at her questioningly. "It's nothing of importance Odin. Just keep running." The horse stared at his queen for a moment before obeying her command. Lightning narrowed her eyes as the dense vegetation of the woods passed her and her noble steed.

She was certain that by the time she would have arrived at Bodhum, the gates and the entire kingdom itself would be heavily guarded. No surprise since Fang was very much a dedicated soldier despite her sometimes morbid and odd humor in some matters.

"You have worked hard and traveled fast, Odin. I hate to ask for your assistance again in this oncoming raid…" Lightning said softly to the horse she rode on. Odin snorted and tossed his head back proudly, indicating his determination to do more.  
He was a wild and untamable horse after all; if he were to serve his master and friend with every fiber of his wild being. Lightning smirked and stroked his neck. "I know Odin. Thank you for everything." The horse huffed pleasantly and broke into a full run. Lightning leaned forward, enjoying the thrill of Odin's mighty speed.

Bodhum was now only three days away. Should she reach home in time, then the ten days left would be perfect for her to prepare for the raid. No doubt Fang was pressuring the soldiers to do the same.

Her next concern was the citizens and the wolf in her gardens. He seemed healthy enough now to travel. Perhaps it would be best if she released him before Tenebrae invaded. Once the wolf is free then there would but on less concern to worry herself over.  
Though it felt rather odd to Lightning that she worried about that beast so much; really he had just been a strange large animal that had been on the brink of being skinned and hanged as a trophy but as Lightning looked into his eyes she saw an intelligence that went beyond that of a mere animal no matter that he was large—about the size of Odin, or perhaps slightly larger.

Odin had seemed uncomfortable with the wolf being in her presence, but she waved it off as a slightly sign of jealousy; Odin did have his pride after all.

_-XIII-_

"How long until Lightning returns?" Vanille asked eagerly as she watched Fang pace while yelling at the soldiers to continue their training. The general looked at her younger friend. "Three more days and Lightning will be here, home again." "Thank Etro." The handmaiden said in relief.

Fang glanced past the fields of the training ground. She was still feeling strangely wary of the black wolf that made its temporary home in Lightning's garden. The animal acted a completely spoiled dog that had been showered with too much affection from its master; at least that was how Fang viewed it. But she knew Lightning was not one to spoil a person, in fact the wolf had been just that way from the moment he stepped foot into the palace grounds.

Fang ordered the soldier to continue, requesting Vanille to oversee them and make sure they did not stop to act like lazy devils. The handmaiden nodded and Fang rushed off to the gardens.

She looked around with appreciation shining in her eyes. The late Queen Farron was a lover of beautiful plant life, especially for flowers and fruits which she loved so much. Fang herself would sometimes wander the gardens to clear her him of worldly thoughts and to concentrate. Though Lightning came here more often than the general.  
Nevertheless, the very garden Fang stood in was known throughout the other kingdoms; the palace of Bodhum's garden was incredibly large that it was, in a sense, a small forest. It was no surprise that Lightning had released that wild black-as-night-animal here. And it was because of that animal that Fang and Vanille rarely visit the gardens. Lightning was bold enough to engage conversations with the wolf, but Fang and Vanille were more wary.

However this time, Fang had a bone to pick.

She had delayed this for far too long now, but Lightning was not here so it was her chance to do this. Fang moved deeper into the gardens where the trees stood tall, but not too tall.  
Her eyes looked around, surveying her surroundings carefully in search of that stray animal her queen had brought into this green world of a garden.

"Come out, you. I know you are there so why don't you act like a true wolf and face me. After all I am just a human!" Fang challenged. She had always had a strange affinity with animals, coming from a long line of hunters this was no surprise. Fang stood there, arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently for the large black wolf to appear.  
Before long, rustling was heard and Fang turned to face the black beast. Its blue eyes glared right at her, warning her of the consequence she would face for disturbing him. The general ignored this and glared in return. She had no intention of being pushed about by an animal.

"I was beginning to think you were too much of a coward to show your face. I have never met an animal that acted like a rotten monarch. Strange, but also rude." The huntress glared at the animal again when he pulled his lips back to snarl, showing his many razor sharp fangs at her. The general scoffed at this. "There is something wrong with you, wolf. I am not sure what it is; you are more closed off than any animal I have encountered, but if you must be a complete scoundrel then do not take your frustrations on Lightning."

The wolf snorted. "Lightning brought you here to make sure you did not die a slow miserable death out there in the wild and allowed you inside almost everything in this palace. I would usually see gratitude in an animal's eyes after that. Believe me you; I have seen _Odin_ with such a look in his eyes. But you…you are the most inconsiderate beast I have ever laid my eyes on! Not even wild animals—as far as I have seen in my years—have such ungrateful eyes such as yours!"

Noctis snarled at the woman before him. He should tear her into shreds while he had the chance; but he was no fool. He knew General Oerba Yun Fang was an elite soldier and was chosen by the queen herself to lead Bodhum's army. She was strong, but so was Noctis. However, he had no intentions of ruining his secret, especially not to this wild woman.  
And how dare she lecture him? This was _his_ life and his choice; he had not asked for the foolish queen to take him into her palace and raise him back to health! He would have preferred death, and in death he would see his beloved again. But as always, everyone around him were selfish beings, including General Fang.

Fang observed the animal, studying carefully his body language. She could easily see that he was agitated with how she spoke to him and mostly she can tell that he was infuriated with her queen for reasons unknown. Of course Fang knew the queen had people who loved her, as well as people who hated her. But this animal had no reason to feel either, if not gratitude.

She knew animals were intelligent creatures if they chose to be, but looking at this large wolf made her wonder; was it possible for an animal to possess human-like intelligence as well as human emotions of hatred and irritation?

This wolf was a beast of burden. But why was that? Wolves enjoyed their freedom, were of free spirit. And yet here was an animal that acted as if much had befallen him and gave him reason to hate the world perhaps. Fang has shrugged these thoughts away, but now she can hardly deny her theories. But if the beast understood her, like she suspected he did, Fang was intent on making the beast see the light that Queen Farron was showing him.

"Just remember this you filthy beast; you would be dead were it not for Lightning. And if you do not learn to appreciate all that has been done for the sake of your health then so help me Devine Etro, I will skin you alive whether Lightning approves of it or not. If there is something I cannot stand, it is someone, including a mere animal, not showing gratitude towards my family." Fang made her point by pointing the tip of her lance at the wolf's nose.  
It had to be done, Fang reasoned to herself. She had seen how well Lightning had been treating this animal and yet for some odd reason this beast only acted as if he had been tied to the ground, about to be slaughtered for a trophy. To Fang, Lightning's inner generosity towards others, man or beast was something to cherish. After all, the queen showed a gentle side rarely. And to have either human or even animal not show any thankfulness was a small crime to Fang. Her friend had risked and gave up so much in her life just for others to have it all. Lightning deserved better than what this mongrel was showing her.

Noctis growled and his hackles rose but again the general was not affected by this. She merely turned away and returned to the training grounds.

"_Incompetent woman!"_ Noctis swore inwardly and snorted loudly. He returned to his makeshift nest and settled down. These people had no right to lecture him, not even the queen. Why must he show gratitude when he did not ask for her assistance. He had not wanted to come here to Bodhum or be treated as a guest. To be free and live for himself, then to die was all he desired.

He will live for himself and no one else, not even for his weak spirited-father. The man could have the throne, Noctis wanted none of it. Not anymore; he lost his chosen queen so what purpose was there to sit high upon that damned throne?  
He would lose his freedom and be chained to duty, being forced to obey laws that had been laid down. But with this body, as a wolf, he would be free to do as he pleased. He would roam wherever and whenever, laws would not apply to him and soon when he did reach his last days he could gladly accept death's cold embrace and perhaps see _her_ again. And that was what he could hardly wait for.

* * *

Odin had refused to stop running for the last two days and he still would not give in to the exhaustion that was beginning to catch on to him.

Lightning quickly dismounted him and hushed Odin when the horse made neighs of protest. "You need all your strength, Odin. And we are getting closer to home now; there is no need to rush on while you are growing weary." Odin huffed and walked behind his queen as she walked onward while pulling him along by the reins.

They had reached the long winding plains that seemed to stretch on for miles. Neither of the companions minded it for it was peaceful and not too many monsters roamed on this day.

Odin nudged Lightning's back but she shook her head at him, refusing to ride until he was fully rested. The horse stomped his hoof in disappointment but he was never one to question his loyal queen. He had learned this after coming to know the queen years ago.  
As a wild horse, Odin had not wanted to listen to the whims of humans but upon seeing Lightning approach with no fear written in her eyes, he could not help but feel rather intrigued and furious that this human had not trembled under his thundering cries and hooves.

She had been young but courageous; it was this that had spurred Odin's nature to learn more of this young human.

Lightning had stopped walking and Odin looked at her. "We rest here for a moment." Lightning said and settled down on the soft grass beneath her feet. The steed laid his body down beside her and grunted tiredly. "We are almost there. A mile or two more and Bodhum's gates will be before us." She said, stroking her companion's mane.

"And here I had been expecting to stay in Nifleheim for a moment longer. But I suppose that will have to wait for now." Lightning mused, partly to herself, "I will have to owe it to Tenebrae for disrupting my plans to do." Odin whinnied in agreement at his master's words.

Minutes seem to pass as the queen and her steed watched the sky in silence. The heavens above her still a bright blue with not a cloud in sight. It was then Lightning finally stood up and turned to Odin when he too got to his feet. "Are you now rested enough?" Odin trotted a few paces away from her as proof then returned to her side. Lightning chuckled as she pulled herself onto his back. "Of course. Come now, Bodhum is only now three miles away." Odin reared excitedly and dashed forwards.

* * *

"General Fang!" Fang grunted in annoyance when the loud soldier approached her. "Is there any reason what you would disturb me at this moment?" She growled. The soldier did his best not to cower before the tall dark-haired woman. "The queen! The queen has returned! The scouts have seen her at our borders!"

Fang nearly jumped up. "What news of the queen now?" "The scouts have met with her and are now escorting her back, General." The soldier said with a salute. Fang nodded and dismissed him. The man saluted again and returned to his post.  
"Finally, Lightning. I was beginning to worry…" She murmured to herself just as Vanille approached her. "I hear Lightning has returned." "That she has." Fang confirmed.

The redhead grinned. "We should go and greet her!"

Fang sighed as she followed Vanille out of the palace and towards the palace gates. "Are you willing to wait for long minutes or perhaps an hour or two?" Fang asked with an eyebrow raised. Vanille waved off her question as she continued to skip along the road towards Bodhum's main gates.  
"Come now Fang; Lightning is well and she is home! That is a perfectly good reason for us to wait for her at the gates!"

Fang sighed in defeat as a fond smile crept to her lips. She ruffled the handmaiden's hair and laughed. "Yes, of course! How can I forget?" Vanille nodded in agreement and went on with Fang walking beside her. The guards at the gate greeted the general with a stiff nod and Fang returned the gesture before standing by with Vanille. "Well we are to wait here then. Do not place blame on me if the sun gets too warm for you, Vanille."

The younger woman pouted. "Fang, I will have you know that I am rather robust!" Fang nodded. "Yes, yes I know. I was merely jesting." For a while it was nothing but friendly bickering between Fang and Vanille. Caught up in conversation, they nearly did not notice the gates opening and someone approaching them with an amused expression.

"Things most certainly had not changed, I see."

The general and handmaiden jumped and faced Lightning. Odin stood behind her, looking happy to be home once again. "Welcome back Lightning!" Vanille embraced the queen's waist, much to Lightning's embarrassment. "Yes, well…it was not for too long. I had to return after learning of Tenebrae."  
"They will not be able to touch this kingdom, not to worry." Fang reassured with her familiar confident smile.

_-XIII-_

"How was Nifleheim?" Vanille asked as she served Lightning her dinner at the table. The young queen was now fresh and dressed in a simple grey tunic with a belt tied around her waist. She ran her hand through her still-damp hair. "It is still as glorious as you remember it, with several improvements I will admit." Fang chuckled. "As always Nifleheim has grown even more. I would like to visit that country again some time."

Lightning nodded as she took a few bites from the food Vanille set down for her.

"Fang," She began. Her general glanced at her. "How is the wolf? I need to see him later." Fang sighed. "He is…fine. Nothing new or unusual has occurred with him."  
"Good." Lightning said and continued to dine. Vanille spoke of what had happened while Lightning was away, though they were not of anything important, the redhead had much to say and it always amused Lightning despite herself. The queen stood from the table. "I must see to the wolf now. Fang, have the soldiers completed today's training?" Her general nodded.

Without another word, Lightning walked out.

She inhaled then released it as a sigh. Ten days until the raid, she needed to be prepared as well. Odin was well-rested in the stables and would not be disturbed until the time comes for him to play his part in keeping Bodhum safe from Tenebrae's army.

Now her concern was what to do with the wolf? Was it safe to release him now? Or would he be safer here until the raid ends?

Lightning strolled into the garden, seeing no sign of the animal. It was something she realized these past days; when he had first arrived, the wolf was energetic and a little happy but nowadays he seemed to have become slightly resentful, and perhaps that emotion was growing.  
She suspected the need for freedom was racing through the wolf's mind. With a heavy sigh, Lightning decided it would probably be best for her to release the wolf where he belonged; any beast that belonged in the wild would want to return home someday. And perhaps it was time for this black mysterious wolf to go home.

First she must find him and talk to him one more time. For old times' sake, she supposed. Although Lightning had no inkling as to why she felt so connected with the beast already.

Attachment was something she had been trying to avoid, just as she told Serah. But somehow, it had caught up to her and now the wolf felt like some kind of friend, though she knew he was far from that. Now with the beast's growing irritation it was truly for the best that they par ways during this time. After all, it was what she had brought him here for; merely to recover until he has grown healthy and his wounds healed.

Now it seems the wolf had enough strength to go his way again and Lightning did not intend to interfere with his plans in life.

Noctis watched her from the shadows of the trees. It seems that the queen had returned from Nifleheim. Slowly, he crept from the shadows and moved towards her slowly.  
Right away she sensed his presence and glanced at him over her shoulder. "I need to speak with you." She said in a low voice. Her tone was sober it caught Noctis' full attention. He moved closer until he was standing next to and towering over Lightning.

Lightning faced him completely, looking at him right in the eyes.

The wolf was slightly taken aback by her expression. It was more serious than usual and she was tense. The queen sighed. "Tenebrae will be here in ten days to raid Bodhum." She said. Noctis' entire body froze. Tenebrae; Stella's homeland. And they were coming here to Bodhum?  
Lightning noticed his odd change of mood. "I plan to set you free. However I still need to decide if I should release you now or once the raid is over. That is up to you of course."

Noctis growled; he needed to know more. He nudged Lightning with his nose roughly, demanding to know what will happen between her and the soldiers from Tenebrae.

Lightning, as always, understood him somehow. "They wish to raid Bodhum, as I said. I know for certain they will come after the crystal." Noctis shook his head, his mind racing with memories of fire, blades clashing, screaming, and hurtful words.  
If Tenebrae was coming to Bodhum in ten days then he would decide to perhaps fight, take revenge, or leave and allow Bodhum to its problems. He was torn; one part of him wished to abandon this kingdom as he intended, and the other part of him wished to take revenge for Stella. Were it not for her status as Tenebrae's heir she would have chosen him over her country. At least, this was what he believed.

Lightning stared at the wolf; he seemed to have forgotten her presence and was obviously in conflict with himself.

"… I am not sure as to why you act this way, but my final point is you either wait or leave now. As I said a mere moment ago; it is your choice." Noctis snarled. Revenge or an easy escape? It was a difficult choice for him. He looked to the queen again and tilted his head. Lightning answered his silent inquiry, "I will be fighting them of course. I will make sure they do not set foot in Bodhum."  
The wolf growled and began to pace. He had the desire to spill blood for all the pain he had gone through, but he had long since planned leaving.

Would he have to change his plans again? Or dare he allow Queen Farron do the filthy work?

Lightning shook her head. "Take your time then since you seem to feel an internal conflict." Noctis snarled at her and the queen raised an eyebrow. "You have changed since we first met, I noticed. However that is also why I wish to allow you to run free now."  
Did she pity him? Noctis despised receiving pity from anyone; they were nothing but meaningless and false sympathy and he wanted none of it, especially not from Bodhum's queen. This accursed monarch was making his mind race and his chest drum, and he truly _hated_ it. To get away from her was his main priority.

He will have to take revenge another time then and let Queen Farron be the one to dirty her hands this time, for now.

It was then decided; he will choose to leave Bodhum and continue down his own path and eventually, should he enter Tenebrae lands, he will sure unleashed his vengeance there. The best part for him was the thought of the many soldiers coming after him and shooting him down until he breathes his last breath. Death would be his most desired reward.

Lightning continued to stare at the beast but dare not touch him this time; he was growing aggressive and showing some form of contempt. It was nothing unusual for Lightning but it did however, make a slight hole in Lightning's chest for some odd reason.

She grunted then turned on her heels, leaving the wolf to his thoughts.

The queen retreated to the library and settled down at the window sill. She tried not to look out of the window to watch the wolf. As Lightning looked at the millions of shelves that stood there before her, she could not find it in her to pick up a volume and read.  
Instead she started to feel restless; perhaps the library was not the right place for her to sit and think so deeply. She exited the room and headed for the throne room instead where she knew it would be silent and no one dared to enter unless it was of utmost importance.

Lightning entered the dimly-lit throne room and stared at the throne before her.

Her throne was tall and white. It looked ethereal, almost like the seat of a goddess. Lightning had shrugged off these compliments of her throne when she heard them.  
The young queen approached her throne then sat down, resting one leg over the other. She leaned back against the head of her throne and finally allowed her mind to wander far off to who-knows-where.

The silence, the solitude was comforting, but also rather deafening.

Lightning could feel her chest ache with a strange longing that she never could describe or identify. She thought of Serah, of her smile and gentle nature; it was the only way she could compensate for this strange ache inside of her. She placed a hand on her chest, counting each beat of her heart carefully. She breathed in and out slowly until she was satisfied and leaned back once more.

It was strange. This sensation was growing as each day flew by. She never minded it but now it seems to have gone to the point where she could no longer ignore it.

However, she merely thought of it as fatigue, perhaps stress or anxiety. After all, her country was about to be raided. Lightning wished to summon her sword and swing it around a couple of times but she could not find the drive or energy to do so. So many different thoughts invaded her mind, some of them memories of the years past, of her childhood and of her family when it had once been whole. However, it was all in the past and the past was something Lightning refused to dwell on as it brought about nothing but pain.  
Lightning stared at the door of the throne room, her face blank of any expression. The silence kept her company and ache continued to grow. The more she ignored it, the more the emotion began to creep into her eyes, darkening her blue orbs with negative emotion. Lightning inwardly growled at herself; she was a queen and therefore to show and feel such weakness was unbecoming of her. She refused to allow it to swallow her.

She was growing tired. Her eyes began to close and her body refused to move from the spot.

* * *

Morning came all too soon but Lightning still had not moved after awakening inside of the throne room where she sat there upon her majestic white throne. She wondered how long the silence would last. How long until the feeling of a peaceful mind would shatter.

Nevertheless, she forced herself to move; she had duties to attend.

Last night she had heard mutters and whispers from the servants and guards outside of the throne room before she had slumbered. It would appear that all of Bodhum was now aware of the raid, and to her pleasant surprise, it seems that the guards had managed to calm the citizens down enough to reassure them that all would be well so as long as they kept themselves safe; after all it was merely a raid platoon Tenebrae was sending.

Still feeling rather drained, Lightning walked out of the throne room, startling the servants that happened to pass by. They bowed and went on their way hurriedly. Lightning retreated to her bedchambers as soon as they scurried off.

Vanille was seated on her bed when she entered. "Lightning… I have prepared your bath, and…clean clothing." The redhead had noticed the queen had gone missing last night but she knew that she had most probably stayed within the confines of the throne room, and Lightning standing before her like she is now proved Vanille's suspicions.

Lightning nodded gratefully and walked into the washroom.

She stripped out of her clothes and it pooled around her feet as she slowly walked into the tub until her body was partially submerged in the warm water covered in red petals.  
The sounds of the water moving and hitting against her body was the only noise that floated about her. Her eyes were blank as she watched the rose petals float about, some of them even sticking to her wet torso.

Vanille entered the washroom and kneeled by the edge of the tub, right besides Lightning.

"Are you feeling well?" She asked worriedly, her emerald eyes holding genuine concern for her longtime friend. Lightning only nodded once and nothing more.  
Vanille did her best to push back a feeling of dread creeping up her spine, causing her to shudder. Lightning looked at her. "I am well Vanille. My back…is just sore." It was most likely an excuse but Vanille did not raise anymore questions. Instead she remained there and washed the queen, seeing as Lightning was not going to move on her own for a while. Once Lightning was clean, she stepped out of the tub while Vanille grabbed the towel and wiped her dry before dressing the queen in her fresh tunic.

"Thank you Vanille. I must tend to something now…" Lightning said in a quiet voice. The handmaiden nodded and left the room.

_-XIII-_

Lightning had gone to her study, her thoughts wandered to her visit to Nifleheim. Before finding King Giovanni on his knees, Lightning had gone in search of a scholar, having questions that needed answering. She had stumbled upon Maechen, a renowned traveling scholar. He had been visiting Nifleheim in order to continue the many researches and stories he had learned. Lightning had no doubt that he was most certainly helpful. She'd ask him her questions and Maechen had answered with much certainty.

"_I am in need of answers, if you would not mind…"_

"_Of course my lady. Ask your questions and I shall answer to the best of my knowledge."_

"_Cruor Mucro. I wish to learn about their history."_

"_If I may ask why you are so intrigued…?"_

"_Tenebrae wishes to attack Bodhum within fifteen days. I need to know what the Cruor Mucro's true goals are. Just as the Alliance has its own goals."_

"_I see. Very well then."_

_Maechen cleared his throat. _

"_As you are aware, Monarchs are special humans chosen by the Goddess Etro to be guardians who watch over mankind. And since there were so many different kinds of people, different nations with different rules rose up to take charge of the many different kinds. The kingdom by the seaside; Bodhum—your nation, the kingdom closest to the mountains; Nibelheim, The isolated kingdom of the night; Nifleheim, the kingdom in the plains; Balamb…and many others came to be. It was a difficult task to protect one's kingdom from calamities and invaders. Etro knew this, and for that reason she pleaded with Cosmos to give the monarchs power to better protect their homelands. The crystals then came to be; a gift from Cosmos to her sister Etro for the mankind's' sake. The crystals gave those of royal blood unimaginable power but there were those who grew to love that power too much. Soon they began lusting for more… Their lands grew dark despite what little beauty it still had and their heart burned with corruption." Maechen paused, making sure that the queen was still listening. She was, and he continued. "Those with a lust for power formed the crusade you now known as Cruor Mucro—Blood Sword is its meaning in an ancient language. Their goal is to take every kingdom and their crystal to obtain ultimate power, and until this day their tyranny still reigns."_

_Lightning knew they were after all the crystals but she needed to be certain. "What of the other kingdoms they intend to capture? Do they intend to destroy them all?"_

"_Quite the opposite my lady," Maechen said, "As you know there is, at times, a dispute over lands and territory. The Cruor Mucro intends to turn all kingdoms into their lands, making each one of the dark kingdoms' a large nation." Lightning growled. "Of course… And…what of Etro? What has befallen her after she had learned the nations had conceived two different factions?" "Ah, that is a rather sad tale… The Goddess Etro wept for days, even blaming herself for such calamities. However her sister, Goddess Cosmos believed in Etro's love and faith in mankind. It was this encouragement that allowed Etro to stand strong and continue her duties. However that is all that is known. Where the goddess is at this very moment, nobody knows. Not even I, I am afraid to say… And that as they say, is that." Maechen ended his tales with those final words._

_Lightning nodded in understanding. "You have my sincerest gratitude, Scholar Maechen. You have been of great assistance." "Ride swiftly, Queen Lightning. And I wish you well." The old scholar said as his parting words._

Lightning was shaken from her thoughts someone knocked on the door of her study, hard. "Enter." A soldier walked in and bowed. "Highness, I have urgent news to report." The queen nodded for him to continue. "Our scouts have spotted Tenebrae's army, they are just five miles away now. It seems they will be arriving much sooner than anticipated." Lightning clenched her fists but tried to hold back her growing irritation. "How many soldiers march this way?" "Six hundred strong at least." The soldier reported. "…Very well then. Alert General Fang and the citizens. Set up more troops at the main gates and make sure the people are able to move somewhere safe." The soldier nodded and ran off at an urgent pace.

The queen grits her teeth. "How far are you willing to go, Cruor Mucro? Are you not satisfied with the many damages you have caused?" Unable to control herself, Lightning slammed her fist against her table, nearly destroying it. Six hundred was nothing, though it was still seemingly too large for a raid platoon she knew those of the dark kingdoms loved to flaunt their power, including the number of soldiers they controlled.

Lightning stormed out of her study, nearly colliding with Fang along the way. "Lightning! I heard the report! Damn Tenebrians must have known Nifleheim was watching them, and if not then they must have gotten impatient waiting!" Lightning understood her general's concern. Still, she needed Fang to have a clear mind. "Calm yourself Fang. Do your duties and have them fulfilled by the time they attack; we need to be ready." Fang nodded. "Yes, I understand. I already had the men sound a warning for the citizens; everyone is alert and will surely make it to safety before Tenebrae's troops reach us."

Nodding in approval, Lightning headed off to another direction. Fang watched her questioningly but her duties were at the forefront of her mind. She moved to another direction herself.

The young queen moved for the gardens; it would appear that the wolf would have to be released sooner than expected. Though she was not sure as to why she was concerned with the wolf's safety during the raid; Tenebrae would not be interested in a beast. Why would they be?  
Immediately the black wolf came to her and stared at her questioningly. Lightning remained in place. "Tenebrae's troops will be here sooner than expected. It seems they have marched on early and are now five miles away from here."

Noctis tensed at her words. Why so soon when had not readied himself yet?

He knew why she was here. The queen was intending to release him now. However, against his better judgment Noctis made a quick decision. He head butted the queen roughly. She did not fall over, much to his surprise, but she knew what he was trying to convey. "You still wish to stay until the raid is over?" Noctis barked loudly.  
Lightning rubbed her temples; why was this animal so indecisive? "This is your final chance. Decide now." Noctis growled at her dangerously and tried to snap at her hand, which Lightning swiftly pulled away from him. "Very well then. Remain here until the raid ends and Tenebrae's troops retreats."

"I would easily defeat Tenebrae should they send only a raid platoon of twenty. But it seems their arrogance has driven them to send more soldiers than necessary." Lightning growled, mostly to herself. Noctis huffed. He doubted that this young queen was capable of battling many armed soldiers alone. She herself was full of arrogance in his eyes. She glanced at him. "Best that you remain in the gardens then. Though I am certain the enemy will not be able to touch the main gates, I need to be sure." Noctis snarled; he had enough of others telling him what he must do and he was still very much angered over General Fang's lecture. He was at his limit.

Lightning turned away, but froze in place when someone spoke to her. "You're a _fool_. And you have no right to tell me where I must stay for my safety!"

The voice was unfamiliar, irritated, and angry. Lightning slowly turned around to face the wolf but instead her eyes saw not a wolf but a man. His hair was as black as the night sky, he wore a dark grey tunic underneath a black cloak, and his eyes which should have been a darker shade of blue compared to her lighter ones were blood-red as they glared right at her angrily. Lightning may not have remembered him clearly but she knew those features well, and his red eyes were an unmistakable trademark of a Caelum. She was surprised, but at the same time, she felt not in the least bit shocked. His name flew past her lips before she realized it.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum…"

* * *

**It ends here for now.**

**First I want to say that I too felt bad for Giovanni in the previous chapter. I know how some of you wished to give the king a hug so not to worry; he has received your hugs and will feel better soon. Yes, Noctis is a brat and entirely selfish for the first part of the story. This is my intention and as I mentioned before in the previous chapters, I plan to dish out punishments onto him soon. And I want to know: so far what is your favorite thing about Sanctuaire?**

**Now, Noctis has grown tired the strange emotions Lightning is spurring in him and her plaguing his mind, and of being told what was best even if it was meant for his best intentions despite everyone not knowing who he was and has shown his true form at last. He wishes to have revenge on Tenebrae because he foolishly believes that Stella only betrayed him because of her country, which of course is not true and her betrayal was intentional from the beginning. He is holding onto straws and does not care if they are mere thoughts he made up in his mind.**

**He also does not cherish his own life, believing death was the best thing in the world that would happen to him which is why he would gladly go on a suicide mission or just waste his life away for no reason.**

**Fang did not know Noctis was the wolf, she merely thinks that even an animal that is as smart as wolf-Noctis was should be more thankful to Lightning. Consider Fang as some sort of animal whisperer since her clan does consists of great hunters.**

**Also in the previous chapter, Lightning had gone into town in Nifleheim in search of a scholar. She had bumped into Maechen while doing so and knowing who he was, asked for some assistance, or at least confirmation for what is on her mind.**

**Oh and before I forget, one of you asked if there was a website I go to for Latin terms. Well to answer that; not exactly. It is really hard for me to find a very accurate translator so I go to several translator websites to check and see if either of them is correct and if they have the same results then I have my correct Latin phrase.**

**One last thing: Lightning's throne is the same throne she sits on in Final Fantasy XIII-2 at the end. I also want to share this little fact I had come to notice. Lightning's (or rather, originally Etro's) throne is sitting on a crystal pillar which makes the throne rather tall. But take away the crystal pillar and just have the throne on it's own then compare it with Noctis' throne. Notice that Lightning's throne is actually much more taller than Noctis'!**

**I found that to be kind of humorous.**

**As always, let me know what you think and I am on the lookout for errors so when I do spot them I will have them fixed. Ask questions if anything confuses you and I will answer them as long as it does not spoil the future parts of the story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Until then…**


	11. Chapter XI: Affronter

**Disclaimer: **** I am glad all of you enjoyed reading. And don't you worry, the story is just beginning! There are more to read! Don't let me keep you. Go ahead and read all you want!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XI: ****Affronter**

She was in disbelief but in a way, she could not find it in herself to feel shocked or completely surprised as she stood face-to-face with the prince of Nifleheim. It now all made sense when her mind finally decided to function and place each puzzle piece together.

Noctis narrowed his eyes at her when she made no indication to move or speak. When she did, she looked at him with absolute certainty. "I had always suspected there something odd about the wolf; he was too intelligent to be some wild animal, and his size was a sure indication that he was not…normal. And then there was his sudden change in persona; the more I looked at him the more resentful he seemed to have grown. I was certain the wolf was not at all just a regular animal, but I did not think that _you_ would be the wolf."

"So you suspected…all this time." Noctis said, his glare never faltering. Lightning returned the expression. "To think all this time, the missing prince has been here in my palace wandering these gardens. Right under our noses. I should have known but my suspicions were at least close enough; I could tell the wolf most likely had another identity but never have I imaged that it would be you. So…this is what the prince has been doing all these years—living a life as an animal in the wilderness."  
Nifleheim's prince scoffed. "I intended to leave as soon as possible. Were it not for the fact that my body heals slowly I would have left this kingdom of yours and never look back." "You will not be doing anymore of that. I promised your father that once I find you I would send you back home, whether you wished it or not."

"Is that a threat?" Noctis snarled and Lightning could still hear the growl of a wolf in his voice.

The young queen was not fazed by his red eyes or loud animalistic growl. "Once I am finished with keeping Tenebrae's troops at bay, I will decide on what to do with you."  
She turned away but Noctis was not through with her. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him again. "Don't you turn your back on me _Farron_! I am not done speaking!" "I believe you have said all that was needed to be said with just mere expressions. I do not need to hear the same thing more than once."

"Don't you dare speak to me as if you were my superior!"

"I am _queen_, and you a mere prince. I believe we both know where we stand."

"You are full of arrogance, Queen Farron."

"I am merely stating facts. It was _you_ who disappeared without as much as a farewell to your father."

"To hell with him! This is _my_ path and no one else's! You have no right to tell me of my father."

Lightning felt a terrible headache sink in. "I have wasted time arguing with you. I need to be ready for the raid." Noctis felt just about ready to strike her. "I will say it once more…" Lightning said, glancing at him, "Remain here until the raid is over. Once all is well, I will speak to you properly."  
The queen turned away again and left Noctis standing in the gardens, seething at how the queen acted like she was the law of the world. The nerve of her speaking to him like she ruled his life as well. It had been a terrible idea to allow her to be queen at age fifteen; now she was an arrogant shadow of a woman.

Noctis returned to the dense brushes of the gardens, his human form dissolving into that of a wolf once more.

_-XIII-_

"The fool has been here this whole time…?" Lightning muttered to herself in annoyance as she walked to her chambers.

How could she have possibly missed the many clues? The black beast she had brought into her gardens had been King Giovanni's missing son this whole time. At the back of her mind, Lightning tried to reason with herself; if the prince was here now then Lord Giovanni would sooner find great relief when she tells him that his son had been with her all along.  
It then brought another question into the young queen's mind; had the king known of what his son had become? Judging from how Lord Giovanni had acted when Lightning had wondered of his shift in mood, he had avoided the topic; there was a good chance that the king of Nifleheim had indeed know that the black wolf was his son.

"Defending your son until the bitter end…" Lightning said in a low voice. Of course the king had merely wanted to make sure not a soul would dare judge his son. After all, it would be a devastation should they learn that the heir to the throne had turned into an animal of burden.

The prince himself had not made a good first impression either. He spoke with unabashed pride; he had held his head high as if his pride was the one thing that mattered to him. In a way it heightened Lightning's concern for Lord Giovanni. Noctis seemed easily angered and his eyes were dull and empty, showing that he was willing to throw away any form of comfort that comes his way. Lightning clenched her fist; did he not realize how much he was cared for?

But that was a topic to be concerned with another time.

For now she needed to clean her armor and wear it to battle. Lightning's mind ran rampant as she wondered how an army of six hundred was able to make it five miles without being detected. It would seem the dark kingdom was growing more cunning and learning new lethal tricks. It was most definitely something to be wary of.

Lightning approached her silver armor and traced her hand over the gold knuckles of her gauntlets. With a sigh, she grabbed her chest plate and sat on the edge of her bed. Pulling out a cloth from under her tunic, she began wiping it clean, starting with the golden bird that stood up in the center of her chest plate.

The door of her chambers opened slightly and Vanille peeked inside. "Fang sent me. It seems the Tenebrian troops have set up a campsite about a mile or two from our borders." Lightning tensed but continued cleaning her armor. "I see. Are you prepared for what is to come, Vanille? It will be dangerous even if it is a mere six hundred soldiers." The younger woman nodded. "Not to worry, I am able to handle myself well. I am sure you know that."  
Lightning smirked. "Yes, I most certainly do. Just remember to always be on your guard and never let it down until you are sure all is well and done with." Vanille inhaled nervously. "Yes, I will remember that. Not to worry."

"Vanille…"

"Yes?"

"About the wolf…"

"Hm?"

Lightning shook her head. "It is nothing. My apologies, I was musing out loud." Her young friend smiled. "Well I do not mind. I there is something you wish to say then do not hesitate to tell me." "I will…once the raid has ended." Lightning said as Vanille turned to leave. The handmaiden heard her and simply nodded as she walked out of the room, leaving the queen to herself once again.

The prince in a wolf disguise made his way into Lightning's mind once more as she continued to clean the rest of her armor.

She knew she had to keep focus on the battle, but the sudden appearance of the prince was all too sudden. It was difficult to keep it from her mind. She would have to deal with him once Tenebrae retreats, that is, if he had not decided to escape in the confusion.  
It was likely, but whether he decided to do so or not Lightning was willing to track him down and return him to his father in Nifleheim. Strange that she was thinking of sending a grown man home when he was three years her senior especially. Perhaps it was something males went through…

Once Lord Giovanni has reunited with his wayward son, then it would be one less worry weighing on Lightning's mind.

With her armor now clean and ready to be worn again as she always had, the queen lowered her head, clearing her mind for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, she began dressing herself in her armor, starting with the skin-tight black suit she wore underneath it. Her gauntlets and her thigh-high armor boots slipped on easily, her feathered sash was attached to the plates that guarded her hips. She placed her chest plate over her head and buckled in place.

Lightning glanced at her shield and picked it up with ease, making it seem like it did not weigh as much as it does. She placed the shield on her left gauntlet where it snapped in place. She was ready.

The queen walked out of her chambers, an air of authority and power surrounded her. It was a sure sign to anyone who crosses her path that she was prepared to face any opponent at this very moment. Her head was held high and her form was that of a seasoned warrior. The servants bowed their heads as she walked by—she seemed as if her footsteps were being carried by the swift winds. Her eyes were focused and ready to take notice of any small detail one would usual miss.

She met with Fang at the palace gates. The general had her spear—the usual choice of weapon for a hunter—ready.

"Has the enemy made any indication to move yet?" Lightning inquired, glancing out of the gates. Fang shook her head and rested her spear on her shoulder. "We are still waiting. So far they have done nothing but sleep at the edge of our borders."  
Lightning crossed her arms, trying to resist her impatience. "They are confident that they will be able to raid us with their numbers of six hundred. I am certain they are well-trained, but all the same, arrogance may be their greatest downfall."

Fang snickered, agreeing with the queen's words.

Just then one of the stable boys came over to them with Odin in tow. Odin was fully dressed in his barding. His face was guarded by a green-and-gold metal champron; the white metal plate criniere protected his neck while the golden croupiere protected his hind quarters. The flanchard protected the flank; it was attached to the saddle then around the rear of the horse; lastly the green peytral protected Odin's chest and stretched all the way to the saddle.

Lightning smirked at her steed. The green metal plates that adorned his body made him seem as a godlike creature that could not be tamed, and perhaps that was just what Odin was; untamable yet noble and strong. A courageous mount. On Odin's shoulders, held fast between the peytral and saddle were green metallic shoulder plates outlined in gold. Engraved on the left one was a strange silver insignia, and under it were odd-looking letterings that no one was ever able to read. But Lightning knew exactly what the letters were; a language of old and writings known as Etro script.

Only she knew what had been written on Odin's shoulder plate: _Custos Veritatis Subversor Corruptionis_.

The young queen smiled secretly as she traced her fingers over the silver engraved letterings. Odin neighed proudly, holding his armor-clad head high, fully understanding that his master knew of the words he wore on his shoulder. "You are now ready, Odin." Lightning said, stroking his white mane. Fang smirked. "It is time to once again live up to your name as the queen's war horse." The steed snorted and shook his head knowingly.

"How long must we wait?" The general sighed. Lightning glanced at her before returning her eyes to what was beyond the palace gates. "We wait until we hear word of the enemy's movements." Fang's eyes rolled heavenward in annoyance.

Even Odin seemed to grow impatient as he started pawing at the ground, sending a bit of dirt flying. Lightning pat the side of his armored neck and Odin did his best to restrain his excitement. He was eager to show his stature and power as the queen's trusted war horse.  
This was one of the many battles in which he had accompanied Lightning. As a horse, he had a good long-term memory and the day he ran into his first battle was still clear in his mind. His queen had been too young—merely a filly—to ride into battle but nonetheless, she did so for she had no choice and because she could not possibly sit back and let others work.

Odin had always admired her courage; it was one of the many curious things about the queen that drew him to her. But he also worries for her. Though many would see Odin as simply a great and reliable steed, he saw and knew more than most humans did about his queen.  
He did his utmost best to remain by her side and form any sort of comfort; though he knew one day he would most likely not be enough he hoped to the distant lands above that Lightning would remain content until she found what she needed.

Odin was an untamable wild stallion, but as a horse he was also loyal and would stand by faithfully beside his herd leader. Of course Odin understood how the humans' ways worked to an extent. He knew humans looked to a leader just as a herd would and Lightning was just that; a herd leader by birth and she most certainly had the traits of a herd leader. She was strong, brave, and dominating. Odin knew he would be a fool not to follow such a strong-minded perfect example of a herd leader. But she was also more than that—she was his friend.

She fought for him just as he would do so for her now and for always.

Even during her days as a filly, Lightning had shown immense knowledge, speaking to the other humans with a voice that was certain yet honest but full of authority. It always impressed Odin whenever his queen would speak and the other humans—those who were submissive in her herd—would quickly and wisely back down.

"Finally!" Fang suddenly exclaimed when a scout came bounding up towards the gates of the palace. "The Tenebrian army is moving, my queen!" He said hastily, out of breath from running. Lightning nodded then turned to Fang. "Call out the soldiers. We ride and meet the enemy."

The general ran back to do so as Lightning mounted Odin. The guards opened the gates and the queen urged Odin forward. Behind them were the sound of armored boots clattering and created the rhythm of a march. Lightning did not need to glance back to know that Fang was now leading her own platoon of six hundred after Lightning.  
Odin snorted then moved into a trot. He held his head high once more and his barding shone under the light of the sun. His appearance very much complimented his queen's silver armor as she rode on his back with her body up straight and her face serious and her eyes blazing with determination.

"I am sure they are not here to talk." Fang said as she caught up with Lightning.

The queen shook her head. "No. They never are. I intend to send them back to Tenebrae with more than just empty hands." A devious grin spread onto Fang's face. "What did you have in mind?" "… Charge on, make them see how much their arrogance shall cost them." Lightning said without taking her eyes away from the distance. The citizens were tense and nervous as they watched the queen and her soldiers walk past them. They knew their ruler would never let the enemy touch their homes but she had also cautioned them that in any case one of the enemy's soldiers had snuck in; the people were to retreat to the shelters.

Lightning gently kicked Odin's sides and the steed moved a little faster, prompting Fang and the soldiers to jog after them.

"Open the gates!" Lightning commanded and right away the guards hastily opened the gates of Bodhum, allowing the queen and her army to march through.  
"I will show them no mercy…" Fang swore as she tightened her grip on her spear. Lightning's eyes kept focus on what lay ahead of her. She led her army a few more steps forward then stopped; the troops did the same. Fang held still and narrowed her eyes, keeping watch on the distance.

Soon, a huge black shape appeared just in the distance. Odin fidgeted and Lightning pulled on his reins gently to settle him. It was the Tenebrae army.

Fang's platoon shuddered at the numbers. Though it was less than a thousand, six hundred was still far too many. Lightning stretched out her hand and her blade answered her call, appearing in her hand in an instant. Fang grinned anxiously. "Bring your pretty faces to me, men of Tenebrae!" Odin pawed the ground, sending grass and dirt flying as he snorted while glaring at the enemy troops.

The Tenebrian soldiers stood still the moment they spotted Bodhum's army.

Their dark armor clattered as they walked and came to a stop. They held their weapons high and their body went as rigid as a sculpture. These men were trained to destroy and ravage; they were the dark kingdom's soldiers. They were born and bred to plunder, pillage and take whatever their masters ordered them to take, kill whoever their masters desired dead.  
Their armor was dark, like a rusted dull gold that now turned dark brown while the elites wore armor of pure black. Their helmets covered their faces, making them seem inhumane as not even their eyes could be seen through the opening of their visors.

Many villagers from quiet and isolated towns once told tales of how the armies from the dark kingdoms were probably not human, but rather, demons. Some say they were created from the darkness of chaos. Some say they are specters whom the dark kingdoms summoned into their service. Those were mere wives' tales. The armies of Cruor Mucro were all men who bleed. But they were as heartless as their lords and masters.

Now they were standing there, a few good meters away and ready to strike at any moment they wished.

The army of Bodhum drew out their weapons while they kept their focus on their foes. They knew not to lose their concentration, for the enemy would show no mercy and would strike when the opportunity was clear to them. Even a young child was not safe from the bloodied blades of the dark kingdoms' most fierce and deadly armies.

The general of Tenebrae's troops lifted his sword in the air. The sun shone upon the blade, sending a ray of light down onto Lightning's face. The painful shine of the light touched Lightning's eyes, making her left eye twitch but she resisted the urge to blink. She would not allow the dark army to find an opening for an attack. Fang tense and bend her body slightly into a crouch.

The Tenebrian general hollered through his helmet, creating a strange muffled shout. His troops chanted and raised their weapons higher. Their general pointed his sword forwards and the dark army charged.

Fang smirked. "I was worried they would not dare come forward!" She looked at her men and pointed nodded. The men of Bodhum stood still and awaited their queen's command. Lightning closed her eyes and lifted her sword in the air, allowing the sun to shine its light upon her sword's silvery beauty. Her eyes snapped open then she pointed her sword at the charging enemy troops. Her own army released a battle cry and charged back. Fang was the first to move forwards; her movements were swift as she plowed through the enemy soldiers' formation.

Odin stood on his hind legs and reared. He let out a ferocious neigh then charged as well.

In a burst of speed, Odin rammed into the dark soldiers that stood in his way. Lightning swung her silver blade around, slicing through her foes' armor like a knife through melted butter.  
An archer aimed his bow right at Lightning and fired. The queen glanced his way and lifted her sword; the arrow flew straight into her blade and fell to the ground, sliced in clean in half. Lightning glared at the archer and lifted her free hand into the air. A bolt of lightning struck at the soldier, claiming his life.

Fang swung her spear around with expert ease, shoving away any black-armored soldiers that came close to her. She waved her hand and a large gust of wind blew harshly at the Tenebrian soldiers, sending them into a painful swirl.  
Lightning looked over her shoulder to see Fang's aero spell in effect. The queen stretched her hand out and another bolt of lightning struck the small whirlwind, sending electrical shocks through the enemy soldiers' bodies. Fang grinned at Lightning and leapt back into the fray.

Lightning kicked Odin's sides and the steed burst forward, tackling several of the dark soldiers out of his path.

The Tenebrian general shifted forwards, cutting Odin off. The horse reared and struck his front hooves against the general's armored chest, knocking him backwards a bit. Lightning let go of her steed's reins and dismounted. She stood in her battle stance, facing the Tenebrian general; her left foot was raised slightly with her weight placed on her right leg. Her left arm was bent towards her body with her sword poised and ready to strike at any time.

They stood in the middle of the battlefield; their troops fought each other fiercely. The Tenebrian general gripped his sword tightly and swung at Lightning. The young queen sidestepped but the general acted quickly; he swiped his blade at her the moment she stepped back but Lightning kept up and jumped back out of harm's way.

She brought her sword up just as the enemy's descending upon her. She blocked the blow and now stood face-to-face with her foe; their swords were crossed.

Both rivals urged their bodies forward, trying to show the other to the ground in order to obtain the right opportunity to attack. Lightning grunted and pushed, sending the general's feet sliding back, much to his utter disbelief; a woman should not be this physically strong, even with the aid of the crystals. No. The crystal only granted magical properties, not physical strength.

With the general of Tenebrae's army seemingly distracted, the queen shoved him back.

As he stumbled to the ground, he pointed his blade upwards but Lightning knocked the weapon out of the way with her own. She pointed the tip of her sword at his chest.  
The general smirked and laughed madly. His troops paused and stared at their fallen general. Fang blinked several times in confusion. Suddenly, the general of the dark army began to blow a faint dark purple and black smog covered his body.

Lightning stepped back cautiously. "This is…chaos!" The black smog engulfed the general and his laughter began to fade.

His platoon was soon engulfed by the chaos as well. Lightning's army and Odin gathered around her as the black smoky presence of chaos surrounded them like a fire's deadly choking fumes. Suddenly the air was filled with feral snarls and the chaos began to disperse.

Lightning tensed and Fang gasped as beastly forms began to take shape. Soon they were surrounded by vicious beasts with black jackal-like heads. Their bodies were as black as ash and outlined with dull gold coloring. In their hands were large sharp axes.  
Lightning glanced to where the general had been and urged her troops back as a huge shape began to form in the Tenebrian general's place. A roar was heard and a large red scaly form emerged from the blackness of the fading chaos. Four sharp metal claws swiped at Lightning but she jumped back, narrowly avoiding the lethal blow. Fang cursed under her breath when the creature finally revealed itself.

A huge red dragon with horns that emitted a fiery glow glared at them. Its fangs were bared for all to see and its deadly claws dug into the earth beneath its paws. On the red dragon's back was where its wings should have been. However the large stub where the wings should be did not look like it would be used for flight, and it looked as hard as the claws. On the dragon's legs were black braces outlined with dull gold.

The jackals howled and snarled all around Lightning and her army. The dragon roared and ran forward, ignoring the Bodhum troops. The jackal beasts followed.

Lightning's eyes widened in realization. "Stop them! Do not let them reach the main gates!" Fang moved and charged towards the nearest monster. Her men followed and swiped at the chaos monsters. They remained ignored; it seems that the beasts were driven by their sole purpose of entering Bodhum's gates. They did not even stop to shake Fang and her troops off nor did they pause when one of their own fell by the soldiers' swords.

The dragon had been the dark army's general and he still seemed to be playing that part even as an abomination of a dragon.

Despite its size the dragon ran quick, charging for the gates leading into the kingdom of Bodhum. Lightning ran towards the dragon, dodging and sidestepping the fallen jackal-headed beasts. Odin cried out and was by her side in an instant. Lightning reached out and grabbed his reins then pulled herself up onto the saddle. Odin reared once more and rushed for the gates.

Soon no more jackal creatures remained to assist the dragon's cause. However itdid not slow down the dragon. Fang threw her spear at the dragon's back, hitting its spine. The red dragon roared in pain but its eyes remained forward. The hard stubs on its back began flapping but instead of the dragon taking off from the ground, its horns began to glow.  
The red dragon pulled its head back as if inhaling deeply. Lightning looked to her soldiers. "Destroy the dragon! Don't let it burn the gates!" Fang rushed ahead of the men and leapt onto the dragon's back then tore her weapon from its scales. The dragon roared in pain and mistakenly turned its head the other way, narrowly missing Bodhum's gates with its flames and instead singed the grass.

Queen Farron's army descended upon the red beast but their blades did not seem to do much damage.

Fang continued stabbing at its back but despite the monster's roars of pain, her weapon could not dig deep enough to reach the dragon's true flesh. Its scales were hard like metal, as well as its claws. Lightning grit her teeth in frustration; she had to kill it before it manages to burn down and enter the gates. She stared carefully, her mind working at a fast pace.  
The dragon flapped the stub of its wings once again and its horns began to glow again. Lightning's eyes widened when the sudden realization struck her. She made her move and made Odin rush forward, signaling Fang to get off the dragon's back. Fang did so reluctantly.

Lightning jumped off Odin's back, lifted her sword and struck the dragon's horn. The monster snarled loudly and shook its head in pain. The queen continued striking at the glowing horns until a crack appeared on the first one. With a final blow, she sliced the dragon's right horn off; she could see what looked like lava flowing through the hard horns. So this was the source of the dragon's flames. Fang's eyes widened at the discovery. She leapt into the air then pointed her spear tip at the left horn. She fell towards the ground at great speeds then landed on her feet with ease. The dragon's second horn was now gone.

"It can no longer breathe its flames." Lightning announced. Fang smirked. "Right! Kill it now!" The soldiers charged.

_-XIII-_

Noctis could hear the loud banging and roaring from where he stood. So it has turned fierce, the battle. He had figured as much.

He paced back and forth, growing impatient. He felt the powerful urge to break out from the palace and fight the Tenebrian abomination himself; after all he still desired his revenge.  
The prince's wolf form snarled and growled and his tail twitched in irritation. This was taking too much time. He could now hear the main gates being tackled harshly; the enemy was trying to break in. He could hear guards run by and leave the palace grounds to tend to the citizens and brace the gates.

Noctis narrowed his eyes as he watched. The guards at the palace gates left it open in order for the troops to run out. Boldly, the black wolf dashed forwards, scaring the men out of their wits and escaped through the open gates.

He ignored the panicked yells behind him and around him as he ran past the citizens and headed for the main gate. He will deal with this himself.

_-XIII-_

Lightning exhaled in relief when she noticed the dragon was slowing down and weakening at last. The monster kept tackling the gigantic gate but it only added to its stamina draining even faster while the humans struck at its now-battered body.

The dragon growled and stepped back a bit. Fang charged and stabbed the dragon's neck. It roared loudly enough to echo through the fields and in the ears of the people of Bodhum. Despite its blood pouring from the fatal wound, the dragon exerted most of its energy into ramming the gates. Suddenly a rumble was heard.

The gate opened a slight and Fang's eyes widened in horror. Before the red dragon would do anymore damage, a swift black form leapt out of the opening and then clutched onto the underside of the dragon's neck. Lightning's eyes grew wide when she saw who it was. "No! You fool!" The black wolf buried his teeth into the dragon's scales, causing gushes of blood to burst from the wound. Lightning ran forward, as the dragon shook its head and dislodged Noctis from his neck. He landed roughly onto the ground and looked up to see the dragon raising its claws to strike a deadly blow. Lightning forced herself to move faster as she saw the dragon preparing to make its kill. The queen charged forwards.

Lightning then used her shoulder to tackle the petrified wolf out of the way. He let out a shrill whimper as he was shoved from the spot. There was a sound of cloth and flesh tearing, accompanied by a loud pained growl.

"Lightning!" Fang cried out. She growled and attacked the dragon with the troops angrily doing the same. The red dragon's four metal claws had struck Lightning's waist where she was unguarded by her armor; the black under suit now had four bloody gashes and the queen was thrown back, tumbling around into the ground. Noctis' stared in disbelief. That foolish woman! She had deliberately thrown herself into the path of the dragon's claws while she had shoved him out of the way. The black wolf snarled; he needed no assistance nor had he asked for it! Now the foolish queen was sporting a bloody wound on her side.

Lightning forced herself to stand, ignoring the pain and the blood oozing out of her body slowly. She picked her sword up again and stumbled towards the fray.

The dragon lifted its head, attempting to throw off one of the Bodhum soldiers from its back. Lightning seized the chance and ran towards the monster one more time. She ignored the burning sensation that ate at her open flesh and leapt into the air.  
She positioned her sword to point downwards as she landed. The dragon noticed her and its eyes widened. The queen landed with her sword entering the dragon's throat and slicing its windpipe in half, silencing the creature forever.

Blood poured out of the body, covering the queen in the foul red liquid.

Noctis shook his head in shock and Fang and her troops said not a word. Lightning looked at them then fell onto one knee, supporting herself with one hand on the ground. Her sword slipped from her grip. Fang moved to her friend's side and Odin trotted over, moving backwards and forwards in dismay. The troops murmured to each other and the black wolf snarled in annoyance.

"I am fine, Fang. The wound will heal." Lightning reassured in a tired voice. Fang shook her head. "What about—" The queen lifted a hand to silence her. "Enough. Let us return…to the palace. Tenebrae's raid is over for now."

Odin laid his body down to allow his queen easy access to his back. Lightning climbed on and held the reins in one hand while the other pressed against her wound. She looked at the wolf sternly. "I have business with you. Come." Noctis let out an annoyed snort but followed. Fang and her remaining four hundred men were not far behind.  
As soon as they entered through the gates, the citizens cheered and cried in worry for their queen. She ignored them and urged Odin on to which her steed obeyed entirely, knowing his queen's injuries were in need of treatment as soon as possible.

Vanille rushed to her companions once they entered the palace grounds. She gasped at the horrific wound on Lightning's side. "Come and bring her to her chambers! I will tend to her wounds!"

* * *

"Thank Etro you are still well!" Vanille held back a sob as she carefully wrapped Lightning's wound. The queen said nothing but merely sat there on her bed. She closed her eyes and counted her heartbeats.

Vanille looked up at her then sighed. "I…I am just happy that the raid is over now. Is that not right, Fang?" She turned to look at the general who was leaning against the wall beside the bedroom window. She grunted. "Yes…I suppose so… At least the wound was not too lethal. What happened to that wolf though?"  
Lightning opened her eyes then picked up her discarded tunic and slipped it on. "… He will be here any moment now." Her friends looked at her oddly. Within that moment, the doors of Lightning's room opened and the wolf entered, his head held high in a haughty manner. Fang snorted at him.

Lightning sat up straight, her back facing him. "I am glad you have decided to come after all." She slowly twisted her body around to face the wolf. "Welcome, Prince Noctis."

Fang and Vanille froze. Had Lightning lost her mind? They looked at the wolf and found him snarling in irritation. When the two women blinked, the wolf was gone and a man with dark hair stood in the animal's place. "What…?" Fang could not get the words out. Vanille was just the same.

All this time, the mongrel that Lightning had taken in to nurse back to health, was Nifleheim's missing prince? The revelation came all too fast and too sudden; there was hardly any time to take it in.

Noctis scoffed. "You realize that wound is your own fault." Lightning's expression did not falter. "Perhaps. However, I did tell you to remain in the gardens until the raid was over." "And I told you that you are not my superior, you fool." Noctis growled.  
Fang glared; it was worse when a man disrespected Lightning in such a manner, especially after she had moved him out of harm's way. However… "You knew he had been the prince?" Lightning looked at Fang and shook her head. "I only discovered the truth before he set out to meet the enemy. I apologize; I had meant to tell you both about him. But I did not anticipate that he would leave the gardens."

Noctis kept his glare on Lightning, ignoring the general and the handmaiden.

Fang was not willing to keep silent. "Now this makes perfect sense. An intelligent animal and a scorned look upon his face… I understand now. This is perfect, now I do not have to hold myself back from harming you." Noctis scowled at the wild woman. "You have no business with me, huntress." "I do when you deliberately show such egotism towards Lightning!"  
The queen held a hand up. "Enough Fang. You and Vanille are dismissed. Leave us be now." Fang glowered at the prince. "Choose your words wisely, prince, for they may be your last!"

Noctis only straightened out his black cloak nonchalantly, provoking Fang further. Vanille grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her out of the room.

Lightning inhaled then exhaled slowly. "You have placed yourself in danger, Prince Noctis. Had I not been there the dragon would have surely ended you." "That would have been best." Noctis said with a frown. Lightning raised an eyebrow. "I take it you are still grieving then? Three years, was it not? Surely you should have at least recovered from the ordeal."  
Noctis clenched his fists. "How dare you! You have no right you foolish woman! I lost so much already while everyone else in this world only think for themselves! They speak of _you_ and your exploits, but did they care for Stella? For me and my loss? No! They did not!"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "I assure you a lot of people have spoken of you."

"Well I do not see it. All I see is people rejoicing for Nifleheim's survival and Tenebrae's defeat those years ago!" The prince's dark blue eyes faded into blood-red. The young queen was not bothered nor was she intimidated by his childish anger.  
"Can you blame your people for saying harsh words? It was Tenebrae's heiress who seduced and destroyed your kingdom, and nearly took your crystal." Lightning's tone was surprisingly as calm as her heartbeat. Noctis was suddenly close to Lightning's face. His eyes glared into hers. "She did not seduce me!" "I see. You still cling onto that belief that it had been all true. I have heard stories about your rendezvous with that woman, Prince Noctis. However, your kingdom and your father should have been your first priority. And speaking of your father, I intend on bringing you back to him."

"You will do no such thing!" He yelled at her face.

The queen pressed her index finger to his chest and pushed him back slightly. "I made him a promise. And I intend to keep it now; you _will_ return to your father's side. He has missed you." The prince waved her off rudely. "What does it matter?"  
"Is it true you are a man of twenty-four years, Prince Noctis?" Lightning raised her eyebrow doubtfully. "Because at this very moment, I only see a young boy who cares for his needs alone while he disregards his father's."

Noctis' red eyes flashed with insulted anger. "You wench!"

Lightning stood up from her bed and made her way to the window. "I see Tenebrae has succeeded in capturing your mind as they had intended to. And you? You wish to remain as Fleuret's puppet?"  
He answered without hesitation. "Yes. At least then I would have her." "… You are quite a child." Lightning said bluntly, once again provoking the man's temper. "I should kill you here and now for your words!" "Then why do you not summon your swords onto me?" It should have sounded like a challenge, but strangely, it did not. Noctis was growing tired of the queen's calm state. It only proved him correct of her being arrogant.

"Slander me all you want, Prince. It will not change anything; I am still sending you home to your father." Lightning said, crossing her arms and facing him. Noctis felt his power surge through him angrily. "Nifleheim is _not_ my home."

Before Lightning could respond, the doors slammed open and King Giovanni stood there, looking pale.

He had decided to ride out to Bodhum, fearing for his ally and Queen Farron, and he had arrived just in time to witness the climax of the battle. The king had seen the beast that nearly tore down the gates that led into Bodhum. It had been shocking.  
Only when Queen Lightning and her troops returned to the palace did Giovanni move onward. Hearing of the queen's injury had only worried him more.

Lightning seemed surprised. "Lord Giovanni. To what do I owe this…unexpected visit?"

The king exhaled. "I have heard that Tenebrae had reached your borders sooner than anticipated. I rode for Bodhum a few days ago to see if I can lend assistance; I brought several good men with me as well." The queen nodded. "That is most generous." She glanced at Noctis; the prince was trying to slink away due to his father's distraction.

However, Giovanni followed Lightning's eyes and his heart nearly stopped. Before him was his son. At long last, after three years of worrying, he finally found his only family. And at that moment, the king did not care that Noctis was glaring at him. "My son…"

Noctis scoffed at his father and stormed out of the queen's chambers.

* * *

**Okay I will end it here for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**I want to clear up that Fang was able to use magic because there are those who have potential to use magic. She does not use the crystal's power because she is not a monarch so her magic was due to her training.**

**Now one of you was worried that the story was about to end. Rest assured it is not ending just yet. The real fun is only starting and besides I have yet to punish Noctis for what he is doing and how he is acting. **

**Now, when Lightning was referred to as a filly and herd leader, that was obviously Odin's point of view. And since he is a horse that is how he views Lightning. **

**When training horses, the trainer must be dominant in order for the horse to listen to you and because of that they will view you as the herd leader because they see you have the qualities of one. But if the trainer is weak or incompetent, then the horse would take it as the person being submissive.**

**Odin was dressed in barding in this chapter. Barding is armor for horses. The ****criniere protects the horse's neck, the croupiere** **protects the hind quarters, the flanchard is used to protect the horse's flank, the peytral is used to protect the chest, and the champron is the armor that is placed on the horse's face to protect it.**

**And since Odin is a normal horse in Sanctuaire, his barding his actually pieces of his original eidolon appearance. Every time I saw Odin in his Gestalt Mode in the game I always thought that the green parts looked similar to a horse's barding so that is what I decided to turn them into here. ****Odin's barding has additional features which are merely shoulder plates, and just like his official appearance in the game, the left shoulder plate has odd writing on it. The words are in Latin and translate to ****"Keeper of Truth, Destroyer of Corruption". However in this story the words are written in Etro script but I am certain it is the same in the game.**

**The jackal monsters and the red dragon are enemies that are set to appear in Lightning Returns. I am sure most of you have seen the artwork of the enemies. In the concept art of the Red Dragon there were notes that said the dragon's claws were metal and that it will be unable to use its breath attack once its horns are cut off.**

**And most importantly, Lightning's injury when she pushed Noctis away to safety. This is but a taste of the many downfalls Noctis shall cause. Be wary of them as the story goes on. Also I am aware that things may seem to be going fast. But think of it this way: there is much going on and one thing after another keeps happening, and because of that Lightning had decided to first pay attention to what needed tending to the most first before all else.**

**I am sorry for seeming out of rhythm at the moment. I am kind of tired but I am glad I managed to at least get this done for tonight. More to come soon, and as always feel free to ask questions if anything confuses you.**

**Until then…**


	12. Chapter XII: Pied Faux En Avant

**Disclaimer****: **** Welcome once again to Sanctuaire. Hey guys, I have finally finished off with my finals and now the Christmas break is here. I will have more time writing now and I have missed doing so; it helps me get rid of the piled up stress that has been forming. Now let us continue the story.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XII: Pied Faux En Avant**

"I must apologize for my son's…earlier reaction."

Giovanni bowed his head down apologetically at Lightning's back as the queen stared out of the window. She had invited the king to speak with her privately in her study, to which he understood why and agreed. The young queen glanced back at Giovanni and sat down at her table, making sure not to stress the wound on her side too much.  
"I was not surprised, if I may be honest with you. However it seems that your son has been fooled far too well by Tenebrae to the point that he refuses to accept it was all a mere charade despite the events that had unfolded before his own eyes three years ago." Lightning said sounding almost tired, but she held back her exhaustion.

Giovanni straightened and stood there rigidly. "I also apologize for not telling you of my son's…condition. I should have told you the truth." Lightning waved his concern off. "All is forgiven, Lord Giovanni. I understand that many of us have secrets that we cannot share, even with our closest companions. It is human nature I suppose."

"Yes…"

"But now that you have seen him, I have no doubt in my mind that you intend to bring him home now."

"Indeed."

"Yet you seem hesitant when I mentioned you doing so."

"He has suffered so much and it seems just being in the palace upsets him."

Lightning crossed her arms. "I may not know how parents act nor do I have the slightest inkling of how one must look after their offspring. However I suggest you insist on taking him back. Allowing him to run away just because he seems to be in pain…does that not seem rather cowardly? Let him face his trials and tribulations, force him if you must. It may be for his good."  
Giovanni sighed. "Indeed. But my son is stubborn and he is also very independent and refuses any aid or even concerns." Lightning smirked. "Something we have in common, I see." She stood up from her table. "Well then…what if I speak to him then?"

"Pardon?" The king of Nifleheim looked at her, surprised. Lightning walked over to him. "I just need a word or two with the prince, if that is fine by you." She reassured. Giovanni thought for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I will leave it to you then, Lady Farron."

Lightning pat the tall man's shoulder comfortingly before leaving her study. She paused for a moment just before opening the doors. "Ah yes, also feel free to anything you wish in the kitchens or anywhere else. Considering that you came all this way and brought your men along I can at least provide you refreshments." The king smiled. "Yes, thank you. It is most appreciated indeed." The young queen bowed then left the study.

She gently touched the wound on her side. Her grey tunic hid the bandages underneath but she could still feel the sting.

The red dragon had struck her hard and the gashes she had received had been slightly deep but fortunately not too deep. Lightning had insisted Vanille use a healing potion on her instead of her white magic, saying it must be used for those who had received a more critical condition than she. Vanille had reluctantly obeyed and the potion had stung the wound but did its duty in cleaning any infections away from the bloody gashes.

Lightning inhaled and stood still for a moment to take a calming breath.

She knew her comrades were worried the moment she had been struck, and so would Serah should she hear word of this. However Lightning had no intention of letting a mere wound slow her down. And it most certainly did not affect her in any way.  
When she finally stopped her meditation, she looked around the halls. The prince had stormed out of her chambers when Lord Giovanni had unexpectedly burst in. She wondered where he had wandered off to. She had been looking out of the window in her study but had not seen the black wolf. Odds were the prince must have hidden himself somewhere in the palace. Now that his true form had been shown there was no longer a need for him to keep his wolf guise on.

There was only one place Lightning could think of. She strolled down the halls, towards the library, her eyes full of determination. She had sworn to herself she could bring sense to that prince, and now this would be her perfect chance.

She was aware that Prince Noctis would most likely scoff and scowl at her for even attempting to make a simple conversation. Nonetheless, she was willing to go through the prince's brash behavior for the sake of Lord Giovanni.  
She approached the doors of the library and could faintly hear footsteps pacing inside. No doubt that the prince was indeed there. Lightning pressed her hands against the doors and they creaked open. Before her, the prince had stopped pacing to look at her with a cold glare.

Lightning ignored the expression and stepped inside.

"Why are you here?" Noctis glowered. The queen moved towards the shelves and nonchalantly inspected each book. "This _is_ my library is it not? I do believe I have every authority to come and go as I please." The prince scoffed and looked away in an attempt to hide his red face; of course she was right—he had been too lost in thought to remember where he was standing.  
Lightning glanced at him as she inspected anther book on the shelf. "Your father is resting and enjoying a meal, not to worry." "I do not care what my father is doing at the moment. I merely wish to get out of this place!" Noctis said gruffly and continued to pace like the wolf would.

The queen sighed tiredly. "That is not possible. Since Lord Giovanni is here you will have to return home with him."

Noctis was resisting the urge to transform into the wolf and tear the queen's throat out. Lightning noticed his dark blue eyes were slowly fading into a red color. She faced him fully. "You have thought of yourself long enough, Prince. It is time you gave attention to your father for even a moment." Noctis clenched his fists. "Don't you dare tell me what I must do!"

"There is no need to yell, Prince. I am standing right here." Lightning stare at the man in front of her, feeling doubtful that he was truly older than her by three years.

Nifleheim's prince was anything but pleased with the young monarch's calmness. If anything, he despised it, despised her like he despised everything and everyone else in this forsaken world. Was it too much for him to just run free as he wished? Why was everybody in the world against him? It was his life and decision, not theirs. They had no right, none at all.  
"Scoff at me all you wish, Prince. It will not help you nor will it change the fact that you must return with your father; he has been through enough." Lightning said. Noctis slammed his palms against the shelves, nearly knocking the entire thing over and trapping Lightning between his arms. She looked up at him blankly.

"I have a name, woman! I am Noctis Lucis Caelum, and from the moment I decided to leave Nifleheim I stopped being its prince!" Noctis stated, his tone harsh and cold, but the queen was not in the least bit frozen from his brash words.

Undaunted by his body suddenly within a mere inch from hers and his head right above hers, Lightning gently pushed him back, away from her. "You are being irrational, and you know that well Prince Noctis." "No, you just do not understand; no one does and they never shall! All of you are just selfish beasts who think of none but yourselves." Noctis snarled at her.  
"Fool." Lightning said with a shake of her head. She moved to the window and stared at the view outside. The soldier ran about, checking for any damages and seeing to the cautious citizens who might have gotten shaken from the attack of the red dragon.

Noctis stared at her back, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He felt confounded that this child of a queen was able to look at him right in the eye and not feel any intimidation. She was either an arrogant wench or perhaps she was exactly as that man from the brothel had said; she was a cold stone statue.

"I still have much to say to you, Prince Noctis. Some of them are not at all pleasant, but I will relieve you of those since your father is here in my palace." Lightning turned to face the dark-haired man who had not stopped with his glaring; it was growing rather tiresome for the young monarch. "Please change your face for a moment, I grow bored of it."

"Are you purposely trying to provoke me?" He demanded as he moved up to her face. Lightning pushed him away again. "You are the one who is easily provoked; it may be the death of you." The prince chuckled bitterly, humorlessly. "Good then!"

"This conversation is going nowhere, I am afraid. And here I was hoping we would be able to act civilized with each other." Lightning sighed and sat on the window sill, one leg up and bent while the other dangled down and touched the floor. "I do not wish to be civilized, I wish to leave!" His voice seemed to still have a wolf's growl behind it; however it still did not faze Lightning at all. "Then why have you not done so?"

Noctis tensed then his shoulder shook as control of his temper began to slip from his grasp.

Lightning waved him off. "No matter. I have no intention on just letting you leave your father again." She stood up from the sill and headed towards the doors of the library. "Come. I believe your father may be looking for you now." Before the prince could make any notion of protest, Lightning glanced at him over her shoulder with a stern look in her eyes. "You are in no position to say otherwise at the moment, Prince Noctis."

Noctis shoved past her and stormed down the hall way in a huff. Lightning called out to him, "The council room is this way." Noctis turned to see Lightning head off in another direction. He sighed in exasperation and followed behind, purposely lagging behind her.

"How immature…" Lightning muttered under her breath when she noticed the prince was delaying them on purpose by simply walking all too slowly.

She waited until he was right by her, only then she continued to walk. Noctis continued to scoff as he stared at the castle floor. The wolf's keen sense of smell took in the young queen's scent, making Noctis tense at the alluring odor. He shook his head and grunted, pushing the thought from his mind, but the smell of a mixture of sweet peaches, roses, and feminine musk continued to evade his mind as his nose continued to pick up the natural smell that emitted from the queen.  
It was a surprise in itself that such a battle-scarred woman as Queen Farron would even have such a feminine smell.

It was moments like this that Noctis at times hated his wolf's powerful sense of smell.

Lightning led him to the council room where sure enough King Giovanni stood in the empty room, deep in his musings. Noctis stood still at the doorway, refusing to move any closer to the man while the queen approached the king instead.  
"Lord Giovanni." She greeted and bowed her head. The aging king looked over at her and smiled. "Ah, Lady Farron. Forgive me, I was merely…thinking." Giovanni glanced at the doorway and noticed his son. The prince was not looking at him and was instead leaning against the frame of the door and staring at nothing to the side. Giovanni held back a sigh but did not go unnoticed by Lightning's keen observation.

Lightning turned to the prince. "I believe you were supposed to greet your father, Prince Noctis."

The prince glared at her fiercely but still it did not intimidate Lightning. Growling in defeat and having given up on attempting scaring off the queen, Noctis grudgingly moved towards his father.  
Giovanni, sensing his son's displeasure resisted the urge to touch him and merely smiled at him warmly. "You have grown strong again, my son. I happy you are still well." "Yes, and it is no thanks to you." Noctis replied haughtily. Lightning stood close, watching the two men; and at the prince's cold words she discreetly stomped on his foot with the heel of her boot.

Noctis grunted then turned his glare to the queen, to which she returned with her own harsh stare.

Giovanni cleared his throat. "I understand you do not wish to come back with me, Noctis. But…it would put my mind at ease if you were to stay and rest, even for a day or two." The prince looked back at his father with a frown. "And you expect me to believe that it is not some trick to keep me in the palace?" Lightning stomped on his foot again.  
Noctis inhaled slowly then within a blink of an eye he swiped his arm at Lightning but the queen ducked underneath and swung her leg around, kicking his foot off the floor and causing the prince to lose balance and land onto his backside.

The king was stunned at the sudden antics that occurred in front of him in an instant.

Lightning stood looking down at Noctis as he say up and felt his sore backside before looked tilted his head up to glower at the queen. Giovanni stepped in between then. "Enough now! Please Noctis I do not wish to trap you in the palace, I merely asked that you stay for a while. It has been a long time after all. Queen Farron," He looked at the younger monarch, "I appreciate your efforts and I am truly grateful but it is you do not need to worry about me too much, truly. I understand you have much more urgent matters…"

The queen dusted off her tunic. "I do not mind." Noctis got up and swung at Lightning again. The queen caught his fist in her hand. "Prince, I suggest you back down now." She said calmly.

Her grip was surprisingly strong; no woman could have such a grip. However there was one female monarch that did, but even she needed to brace herself from the impact. Giovanni recognized the habit that Lightning displayed. "Lady Tifa has even imbedded some of her habits into you it seems." Lightning smirked. "That she did…"  
Noctis raised an eyebrow at this mention. Lady Tifa? King Cloud's queen? What connection did Lady Farron have with her aside from being an ally to the Strife kingdom of Nibelheim?

Lightning moved Noctis' fist away from her and the prince dusted himself off in a huff.

Giovanni rubbed his temples; it seems the new generation of monarchs was still slightly unruly. But nevertheless they were still great rulers. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Noctis, I only request that you come home for a while. To rest and just for us to speak again since it has been three years since I have last seen you. Please."

Noctis was infuriated; both his father and queen Farron were against him. However the reasonable side of him thought of how easy it would be to continue his journey to nowhere if he at least rested back at home and then gather supplies to take with him.  
Perhaps that would be for the best and Giovanni did say he did not intend to keep him prisoner in the palace; whether the aging king was saying the truth or not, Noctis knew could make do if he had a good amount of supply and gold with him when he leaves again. Perhaps then he would not need to make the same mistake he made—being brought to Bodhum and being kept temporarily by its young, cold queen.

He raised his head up and huffed. "Fine then. But only for a day or two just so I can stock on supplies and rest myself."

Giovanni sighed in relief; he did wish his son would stay but he was growing old now and he no longer had power over what Noctis did, whether he wished to make a decision for him or not.  
Lightning shook her head; it was a sad sight. She knew King Giovanni was losing control over his son since he was aging, though the king was not too old yet one can already see some streaks of grey in his dark hair. And he loved Noctis to the point that he would allow his son the choice, and even if he did attempt to make his son stay in Nifleheim, the irrational and brash prince would sooner escape than stay to claim the throne one day.

Giovanni turned to Lightning and touched her shoulder. "I am thankful for your assistance, and for all you have done for my son. I will…be managing things on my own now." Lightning remained silent and watched as Noctis left the room and was followed by Giovanni a moment later.

When the men were gone, the young queen seated herself at the table, feeling drained for some odd reason. "The fool…he does not know what he is taking for granted…" She rubbed her temples; the prince's behavior reminded her of a spoiled child and it irritated her to the very skin of her teeth. She knew she should have advised Lord Giovanni to be sterner with his son but she was aware that even if she did so, the old king would be unable to control the prince fully. After all he was a man in his fifty years, and Noctis was a man of twenty-four, he was allowed to make his own decisions. It did not help that Giovanni also had to tend to his kingdom, which gives Noctis the opportunity and opening for simply escaping his role without any conflicts to stand in his way.

Lightning clenched her fists at the thought of Noctis simply leaving his home, and his father behind with his head held high and no remorse emitting from him. The man was foolish! Just what did that fool wish to accomplish by aimlessly wandering the world on his own, even perhaps risking his life and his kingdom? Before she realized it, Lightning lifted her fist and it came crashing down into the table before her, nearly breaking it in half. However it managed to survive the queen's fury with a harsh dent.

She exited the council room and noticed three servants watching her, having heard the loud cracking of the long table that was inside of the room. Lightning growled in frustration. "Tend to the dent on the table." Without another word she moved along down the halls and the servants obeyed the order given, knowing something must have upset the queen.

Lightning calmed herself and counted her heartbeats. She knew the matters of the Caelums were not of her concern, but it was simply too hard to look away when knew a son would be leaving his aging father without a second thought.  
Then again, perhaps she did start on the wrong foot with the prince. With a sigh, she decided that a small peace offering would be a sensible idea to offer to the prince at the moment. If he were to stay in Nifleheim for two days or three, then her peace offering could be just the right suggestion.

Soon Lightning found herself actually searching for Prince Noctis.

Usually her pride would prevent her from even trying to make a peace offering; after all it had been the prince who was wrong, not her. And yet she knew that she had to be reasonable, better than him. She was no longer that angry young woman of eighteen those three years ago; she was slightly older and wiser, and she must live up to her status as queen. There was no room for mistakes that could be easily avoided.

She soon found him wandering the gardens, but this time he had not turned back into the wolf.

Lightning approached him and cleared her throat. Noctis looked over at her then frowned. "What?" "I only wish to talk this time, Prince Noctis. Nothing more." Lightning assured. The prince crossed his arms impatiently. "Then talk. I do not have all day, woman."  
Lightning grit her teeth and resisted the urge to crush his skull with her bare hands. She was taking the high road, and on the high road she shall remain. "I realize we were not able to put our best foot forward. I wish to apologize… And I have a peace offering as well." It took all she had not to speak with clenched teeth.

Noctis raised an eyebrow. "Go on." So far, he was listening properly. "In eight days time Bodhum will be having a grand ball. Several guests will be there, but of course you need not concern yourself with them if you wish not to do so. But I will feel at peace if you and your father were to attend." Again, she was thankful that she did not speak through her teeth.

"You are inviting me to the ball as one of your guests?"

"Indeed. This is my peace offering; a personal invitation."

"Hmph. Is that right?"

"I am being honest, Prince."

Noctis snorted. It was a rather rude gesture but Lightning ignored it with the best of her control. The prince of Nifleheim shook his head at her. "Very well then. I promise to attend this ball of yours, and I will bring my father along." "Good then." Lightning said, returning Noctis' gruff expression with her very own. For a moment, both monarchs stood there staring at one another. It was as if they had engaged into a silent mental battle with neither of them being willing to bow their head and forfeit. It was a clear sign of stubbornness.

However, Lightning had to relent after reminding herself that she was taking the high road. "I shall see you both at the ball then." She bowed slightly then turned on her heels, retreating into her palace.

_-XIII-_

Giovanni bowed before Lightning and her companions as he and Noctis were about to make their exit from Bodhum. The soldiers the king had brought with him had done well in assisting those in need after the raid. Lightning nodded at the aging king in return while Fang and Vanille smiled.

Noctis leaned against the gate impatiently waiting for the farewells to be exchanged. Fang glared at the prince, an oath was written in her eyes but Noctis paid her no mind.  
"We shall now take our leave, Lady Farron. I thank you for allowing us into your home so warmly." Giovanni said as he stood and took Lightning's hand to place a kiss on the back. "Think nothing of it, Lord Giovanni. You are a friend to Bodhum and are always welcome at any hour."  
Noctis snorted and Fang glared at him again for the rude reaction. Vanille held her companion back and shook her head at her. Fang reluctantly backed down.

Giovanni sighed then stepped back. "It is time we left. Farewell Lady Farron." "Godspeed." Lightning said in farewell. The party of Nifleheim turned towards the gates of Bodhum as it opened before them. Giovanni looked at his son. "You are prepared to journey home?" Noctis scoffed. "Unlike everyone in this damned world, I am always prepared."

Once the gates were fully open, Giovanni mounted his chocobo and moved forward. Noctis, ignoring the Nifleheim soldiers' offer of their own chocobo, morphed into the black wolf and trotted on ahead of Giovanni.

The general of the Nifleheim's army yelled out his commands and the soldiers followed behind their prince and king. As soon as their feet stepped out of the kingdom of Bodhum and into the wilderness, the grand gates closed behind them.  
Lightning sighed and immediately returned to the palace with Fang and Vanille following behind silently until they were at the palace gates. Before either companion could say a word, Lightning left them as she once again retreated inside.

* * *

After the entire five-day journey to Nifleheim, Noctis had locked himself in his sleeping chambers and only stepped out during lunch and dinner hours and also if he felt in the mood to leave his chambers. Giovanni would visit him as much as possible in order to rekindle the bond between him and his son. However it was proving rather difficult since Noctis refused to speak as much and would at times ignore Giovanni entirely even when the king raised his voice at him in a scolding tone.

Two days had now passed since Queen Farron had invited him to the ball. Noctis frowned as he stood out on his balcony, watching as the birds flew by.

A knock on his door disturbed the prince from his thoughts but he ignored it and just allowed Giovanni to enter himself. The king approached his only son and stood beside him, leaning against the stone railing of the balcony. "I hear Lady Farron has invited you to the ball that will occur tomorrow evening." Noctis spared him a glance. "What of it?"  
Giovanni chuckled. "It is usually the male who invites a lady to a ball, am I right? But are you prepared for the event, my son?" To his surprise, Noctis laughed bitterly, coldly. The prince walked back into the room. Giovanni followed him. "Noctis?"

"No, _Father_. I will _not_ be attending the ball."

"What?"

"Do not make me repeat myself. I have gathered the supplies I need; I will leave for my journey tomorrow."

"What of the ball then?"

"You shall attend. After all, the queen did extend the invitation to you as well. It will also lessen the sting of the salt the queen shall receive on her wound."

Giovanni could not believe what he was hearing from his own son's lips. "I know you promised Lady Lightning you would attend the ball, Noctis. You are a prince; does the promise you made mean nothing to you?" Noctis' expression was bitter and his eyes were cold, just like his laugh a moment ago had been, as he took out his knapsack filled with supplies. "Promises are meant to broken after all."

* * *

**I intended for this chapter to be a little short because I am actually working on the thirteenth chapter already as well and that is where everything will start coming into place. However don't expect that the next chapter will be up right away because I am going to be doing a lot of writing on that chapter.**

**I want to once again thank all of you who have read or began reading Sanctuaire or my other fanfics. I am grateful. It helps me out a lot and I get my drive going every time. Now one of you—and I am sure you know who you are…hehe—has mentioned that Lightning did not seem to react even when she realized the wolf was Noctis and he had bathed with her a few times before in the previous chapters. Well the answer to your question is Lightning does not simply care. Reason for that being is that there happens to be more urgent matters on Lightning's hands rather than some trivial concern that a man in a wolf's clothing had bathed with her. And of course Lightning is not just some everyday woman; I believe would have attacked a peeping tom instead of just yelling and cursing and complaining about it like regular women would. At least, that is probably how it might be with Sanctuaire-Lightning.**

**Also, you guys are hoping punishment will rain down on Noctis, to which I will say: Not to worry. It **_**will**_** happen, and Noctis will get his butt handed to him one of these chapters. In fact it has already started since chapter eleven. Stay cool, everyone! I will be working on the next chapter now.**

**Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I have started making a "guide" for Sanctuaire in my profile. If you want you can take a look, however it is not yet complete and still under construction. But I will finish it sooner or later, not to worry. Also keep an eye out for my author notes because I will be writing down some recommended songs for you guys to listen to. Just like in Chapter VII, I have recommended a song that suits Noctis' current persona which is "A World Without Fences" from Lady and the Tramp 2. You'll enjoy spotting the symbolism and meaning behind it all. I will suggesting more songs in the future chapters as the story progresses and reaches a crucial part.**

**Until then…**


	13. Chapter XIII: Désordre

**Disclaimer: **** Welcome! Thank you for your comments, I really appreciate it. It also helped me understand how you think of the story and the characters and I have to say I really enjoy how you guys state your opinions and assumptions. It always puts a smile on my face. Now, enough dallying. Go ahead and enjoy this new chapter!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XIII:****Désordre**

Bodhum shone with grandeur on the night of the ball. Nearly every name in royalty had come to attend this wonderful event. Vanille grinned at how wonderful everything seemed around the palace. The lights, the décor, the shine of the polished walls and windows, everything.  
Fang had to restrain her from going into a tizzy while she stared at the palace's interior. Neither of them had seen Lightning since this morning however.

They could only assume that she had locked herself in the throne room for the meantime. However they knew she would appear in time for the beginning of the ball.

"I love grand balls. Everything is always so bright and lovely into the night!" Vanille commented as she twirled around. Fang chuckled and pat Vanille's head. "Careful now; you don't want to crash into any of the décor." The handmaiden gave a pout then straightened herself and fixed her gown. "I wonder if Lightning is feeling well…"  
Fang frowned and gently pressed her pointing finger at Vanille's temple. "Of course she is! Just give her a moment to brood." Vanille sighed in defeat before returning to her bright disposition. "Come Fang! We should see to the guests in Lightning's stead while she readies herself!" The general nodded and followed behind the handmaiden as she skipped along to the ballroom.

Indeed, Lightning was in the throne room. She sat upon her majestic white throne, engaged in her musings.

She sat still and one could almost mistake her for a lovely life-like statue of a goddess. Already she was dressed in her finest royal tunic; it was rather identical to the one she had donned during the dinner in Nifleheim, however instead of blue, it was colored with red and white gloves dressed her hands. And unlike the dinner in Nifleheim, the young queen had a large red cape draped around her shoulders.

Though all was silent as she sat there in the throne room, she could clearly hear the chattering outside. The servants were flitting about and readying themselves for the arrival of the guests that would soon be walking through the doors of the palace.

She knew she had to make her entrance soon.

Lightning stood up from her throne and straightened her tunic and her cape. She headed out, her red cape fluttering behind her magnificently.  
The servants bowed and greeted her as she walked past. She nodded at them and signaled for them to go carry on. She strolled to the ballroom but stopped when she met with Fang who stood leaning against the grand-looking doors. "I see you have finally crawled out of your lair." She smirked teasingly. Lightning huffed and approached the doors. "Good evening Fang. Are the guests settled in?" "Of course, Highness." The huntress said, bowing her head nobly.

Lightning nodded then pushed the large doors open.

The activity inside the ballroom stopped the moment the queen stepped in. The guests greeted her and raised their goblets. Lightning made her way up to the royal seat and stood there, facing the guests. She raised a hand and the guests returned to their activities and idle gossip.

Rather than settle in her seat, Lightning mingled into the crowd but made no indication of any desire to speak to anyone. She moved to the balcony of the ballroom, away from the crowded room. The fresh evening air touched her face, calming her. Behind her, her cape moved with the slight breeze. She turned around to face the ballroom. She could see the guests clearly and observed them with her keen eyes until she caught sight of Lord Giovanni.

He greeted the guests as he moved along. The king approached Vanille and whispered in her ear.

Lightning turned around to face the evening scenery again. She placed a hand on the marble railing. The sound of footsteps approached her from the ballroom and she immediately knew who it was. "What is it, Vanille?" Her handmaiden fidgeted slightly, her hands crumpling into the long skirt of her gown. "I spoke with Lord Giovanni… He wanted me to…give you a message, my queen…" Lightning remained silent, waiting for Vanille to finish what she needed to say.  
Vanille stared at the queen's back worriedly. With a heavy sigh, she continued. "… He says his apologies; Prince Noctis…will not be attending tonight." She braced herself for the queen's sudden change in temper. When nothing of the sort happened, Vanille opened her eyes. Lightning remained staring at the sky. "I predicted that would happen. In fact I invited him, knowing full well he intended to never attend."

Vanille gaped in surprise. "Then why did you invite him personally if you knew?" She tensed when she noticed Lightning's lips for a rather sad ghost of a smile. "I am not sure. Perhaps I wanted to know what it was like to be promised to and to know what it felt like to be either accepted or rejected."

Vanille lowered her head and stepped back into the ballroom to allow the young queen her privacy.

The ball continued on without incident after that. Though Lightning remained distant from the guests most of the time, more than she usual is, worrying Lord Giovanni, Fang, and Vanille throughout the night. Only when she was required to speak did Lightning join the crowds, but otherwise, she kept to herself in a corner or out on the balcony, staring at nothing.  
While the guests were dancing around with their elegant gowns and coats swaying with their movements, a soldier politely hurried past the hordes of royalty. He spotted the queen out on the balcony and approached her hurriedly.

Lightning heard him and glanced at him over her shoulder. The man bowed before coming near to her and whispered to her. Lightning's eyes widened in disbelief as she dismissed the soldier once he was finished whispering. Her eyes stared up at the night sky and her heart grew heavy.

* * *

The black wolf dashed through the field under the morning sky as the early morning breeze blew at his thick coat. His knapsack was held in his jaws, his large size not bothered by the weight at all. The wolf smirked; it was been twenty days days since he left Nifleheim once again after he had rejected the queen's invitation to the ball. It felt wonderful to be free and unshackled. The fields were lovely and green and the skies were as clear as it would ever be.

He stopped for a moment, dropped his knapsack and laid down on his back then rolled around in the dewy grass. He let out a happy whine as the dew refreshed him. His nose picked up the wonderful smell of fresh air and lush vegetation. He rolled onto his belly and his tongue hung from the side of his mouth as his wolf eyes took in the world's beauty. This life was perfect for him.

He stood up once more and grabbed his knapsack. Noctis could never tire of the freedom this life held for him. He took it without hesitation and savored every waking moment. Oh if only she were here to enjoy it with him with no judgments to rain upon them.

His spirits lifted when his nostrils caught the scent of fresh water. He ran towards the smell until he happened upon a stream. His excitement only increased when he saw the slippery forms of fresh living fish swimming about. He hurried to the edge of the stream and dropped his knapsack beside him. He bent his head down and lapped his tongue against the cold clear liquid.  
The water cooled his body down from the running he had gone through for the past few days. After taking his fill of the water, his eyes sought the fishes that swam by. He had learned the art of catching with the wolf's body. He waited at the edge, his front paws in the water. The shone down on the scales of the fishes, giving them a wonderful shine on their bodies.

Noctis stood still for a moment until an unsuspecting fish swam too close to his large paws. He dipped his head in the water and lifted it back up again with the fish wriggling in his jaws. He threw it onto the shore where it continued to flop about desperately. Noctis continued until he had enough fish to feast on until he was satisfied.

With a wolf's taste, he needed not to start a fire to cook them. Instead he feasted right away as soon as he shook his fur dry.

His fangs dug into the fresh meat of the fishes. The taste of such a wonderful catch touched his tongue, making the black wolf growl in satisfaction. His belly grumbled for more, a request he gladly and willingly satisfied. He gulped down more fishes until he was full and ready to travel again. Noctis stood up and let out a yawn. He watched the sky for a moment before grabbing his knapsack and began his journey again.

Where should he go to now? There are so many places to see, and perhaps so many worlds as well; he was more than willing to walk every distance until he sees every world there was to see. He traveled farther, past forests, rivers, and rough terrain. His wolf form was at home within these wildernesses. Nothing held him down; no law, no expectations of him to fulfill any duty, and no burdens for him to carry.

He walked on and on until his sharp sight spotted what seemed like a peaceful settlement. The wolf knew it was unwise to trot in. Immediately the black beast was a man once again; his knapsack rested over his shoulder as he walked to the small bit of civilization.

The moment he set foot there, several of the inhabitants looked at him before deciding he was merely a traveler passing by and returned to their chores.  
Noctis smirked and walked into the inn. The master of the inn looked up from his letter to take in the appearance of his new guest; a young man with dark hair spiked at the back of his head, dressed in a dark tunic with his knapsack on his shoulder. A traveler no doubt.

"Welcome Stranger." He greeted warmly.

Noctis nodded in response. "I will only be staying for one night, not to worry." He said. The innkeeper chuckled, "Not to worry Stanger; we are peaceful folk here. You may stay as long as you wish." Noctis smiled slightly. "I thank you for the generous offer. Perhaps I might consider it." The prince drop several pieces of silver on the counter and the friendly man smiled before calling one of his helpers over; a pretty woman with dark hair and a delicate face.

She led Noctis upstairs to his room and glanced back at him to make sure he did not fall behind. As she took in his features, she found out how handsome he was. Dark and rather mysterious, perhaps even dangerous. It was perhaps every woman's—virgin or not—dream to meet with such a man, and perhaps to be swept away with him. The woman blushed and lowered her head to hide the redness of her face.

Noctis noticed her tense and inwardly chuckled; he knew he had such effects on women since he had been a boy of sixteen; that was when he first discovered that his manhood was able to do more than just release urine, and can actually be used to please a woman.  
The prince wondered of the thrills and dangers if he was to allow the pretty inn girl to pursue him into her bed, but ever since he had learned to devote his heart to someone, he had all but given up on his rakish games. He was a man who now knew how to remain devoted to his soul mate and never lower himself to the likes of a common roguish rake. However, that did not prevent him from still being rather adventurous; would rather spend his life traveling than sitting on a throne.

The woman opened the door to the room he would be sleeping in. Noctis dropped his knapsack by the bed then turned to the woman. He took her hand and kissed the back, shocking her. "I thank you for the assistance." He said politely. She flushed, nearly to the point of swooning; she turned and left the room before she fainted.

Noctis smirked then sat on his bed with a sigh. It was best that he remained alone; he would have more space to think and air to breathe.

He opened his knapsack and recounted his supplies to make sure he had enough for a while. However, since he was now in a settlement it would be ideal for him to gather more supplies. He wondered why he never thought to use such techniques while traveling before. He supposed there was always room to learn. Once everything seemed in place, he laid back on the mattress and stared at the ceiling of the inn room.

Before long, his mind drifted back to his stay in Bodhum. He admitted that the garden had been rather lovely and most comfortable with the healthiest plants he had ever seen; not even his mother's garden could compare to the garden of Bodhum's royal family. It was no wonder Queen Lucia Caelum adored the Farrons' gardens.

And then there was Bodhum's ruler; Queen Lightning Farron. She was a woman of authority, strong, proud, and noble. Her people adored her, even other nations adored her. She was the youngest monarch ever to rule over a kingdom. Despite that Queen Farron shone brightly among the ranks of the Alliance and was said to be a born leader with inborn talents with a blade. And yet, there was still so much mystery surrounding the queen.

Noctis scowled; why in Etro's name would he even think about that child? He despised her and how unaffected she seemed about what went about her surroundings. If he had his way, he would have challenged her to a duel to prove who was truly superior. He would humiliate her by simply defeating her in a match, proving how much of a child she was compared to the rest of the Alliance.

Of course Noctis knew better than to journey out into the world without constantly polishing his sword arm. He kept training even when others might not realize it; he was just as strong, talented, and powerful.

His restless mind continued its reel of thoughts in his head until it came upon the first time he ever laid his eyes on Queen Farron. She had made him curious for a while, and he hated himself for it; there was no need or reason to even try to learn more about her. Yes, perhaps she did save his life and if she did not he would not be here wandering the world as he pleased.  
Noctis shook his head; his mind had gone too far now. He was determined to keep himself preoccupied and keep thoughts of the young queen at bay. Nothing will slow him down, not even a mere memory of Lady Farron's striking blue eyes.

With a growl he stood up. Perhaps if he explored this settlement for a while his mind will be cleared.

He walked downstairs where the innkeeper willingly gave him a map. "Many travelers have passed by here. So it is customary to give them a map should they have a need for it." Noctis nodded gratefully as he took the map. Stepping out of the inn, he could already see that these people were hardworking and living simple and peaceful lives.

Noctis strolled along, impressed with how they made their living without uttering a complaint; it was truly admirable in his eyes. Several of the passersby greeted him as he walked past. He returned the gesture before looking at his map. It was not a large area but it was decent to live in. Perhaps if he were to live away from royalty, _perhaps_ this place would be one of his choices.

The tavern was just as decent as the rest of the settlement.

The large burly men who settled there were the blacksmiths and weapons and armor merchants. Noctis sat at a table in the corner where he was served a pint. He stared at the liquid silently and before long he was served his lunch; fresh vegetables with cuts of meat. The prince's wolf appetite made him smile as he ate his servings. The prince wondered if there were other places like this where he could avoid any bothers from the outside world, living in seclusion from royal bounds and duty that gave nobody a choice except to follow.

After his meal he continued his exploration, getting to know several of the people there, as well as learning about their home. It was all new and intriguing to him, exciting even. Being home in Nifleheim and in the other countries that were a part of the Alliance were never this exciting. But now this wandering life he is leading was more than perfect to him in more ways than one.

By the end of the day, Noctis returned to the inn. Right away he walked upstairs to his room then locked the door behind him.

He sighed, content with how much he learned of this place. Tomorrow he will leave and travel on to another seemingly new world. Just the thought of the many wonders he be able to discover brought his entire mood up as high as the sun. This is what he had wanted; a life of endless discoveries and excitement. A life full of opportunities and beauty, a life that was wonderful and free unlike the life of a monarch that held you down with endless duties but none for yourself.

Noctis closed his eyes and breathed out rather happily and fell into a blissful slumber.

_-XIII-_

It did not feel like he had slept for too long as a loud banging interrupted Noctis' dreams. The sound was urgent and rushed. With a groaned he sat up in his bed and walked to the door to answer the loud banging.

The innkeeper seemed rather worried, standing there with a disheveled-looking young man. "This boy here says he has a message for you, Stranger. I brought him here to meet with you since he looked terribly spooked." The innkeeper said.  
Noctis glared at the young man; he was a messenger from Nifleheim. What did his good-for-nothing father want of him this time when clearly stated he did not wish to return or stay? However Noctis knew that if he turned the messenger away, his identity as prince may be revealed; accidental or otherwise. With a relented sigh, he allowed the messenger in and thanked the innkeeper who returned to his duties.

"What did you track me down for? I already made it clear that I do _not_ wish to return! Had I not made it clear enough to the king?" Noctis yelled crossly. The messenger flinched at the prince's tone. "Forgive me Sire. But this is urgent! Were it not, then I would not have been sent here!" Noctis supposed he had a reasonable point. He crossed his arms and glared at the shorter man. "Then speak! I do not have all night!" The messenger fell to his knees and bowed. "Lord Giovanni has sent me to seek you out and tell you that requests that you return to Bodhum as soon as possible due to urgent circumstances." "And what might the reason for this urgency be? Spit it out!" Noctis growled.

"My prince…Tenebrae and Valhalla have struck Bodhum five days ago. We are fearful that…Queen Farron has fallen."

* * *

Noctis all but burst out of the inn—his knapsack tied to his back—at the news. The messenger followed him and mounted his chocobo as soon as the prince morphed into the black wolf. Noctis was beyond furious; his father had gone too far in his efforts to try and make him stay.

Now he will meet with him in Bodhum and prove that the news of the queen missing is nothing but a trickery his father had set so that Noctis would have no choice but to return. It was most likely a trap in order to make him stay this time. Noctis would have none of it; he will go to Bodhum, track the queen wherever she is hiding herself and prove that he was no fool to fall for such a pitiful scheme. The messenger on his chocobo led him on to Bodhum but the fury in the wolf urged him on faster than the chocobo and messenger.

The messenger struggled to keep up with the irritated prince throughout their journey. Noctis had not allowed themselves any rest, much to the younger man's dismay but he said nothing for the prince of Nifleheim was enraged like an inferno. But for what reason was he so angered? Did he despise his family so much that it angered him by merely being summoned to assist? This was most likely the effect that the cruel heiress of Tenebrae had on the prince. The messenger mentally cursed Lady Fleuret for what she has done to the beloved prince. The man did not deserve such pain, but now because of it he resorted to acting like a—Etro forgive him for thinking such things about his master—selfish boar.

They traveled without rest, Noctis not once intending to calm himself down and think logically.

When Bodhum had come into view, the messenger and his chocobo felt relief wash over them since their journey would now be over. However the prince was still as angry as a demon. As soon as they entered Bodhum's gates, all was in disorder; the people were walking about. Trying to repair their homes while several children ran about while others cried over how terrible everything had become. Noctis huffed nonchalantly, his main prey was his scheming father and the queen of Bodhum.

At the palace gates, the guards let them in. The messenger dismounted his chocobo and gladly dismissed himself, knowing full well the prince would not care for his presence any longer.

The black wolf bounded off into the halls with his muzzle pulled back in a snarl; the nerve of his father going this far to trap him. He stormed into the council room where his father was found in the middle of a discussion. Upon seeing the black wolf, Lord Giovanni attempted to speak. "Nocti—"  
In an instant the wolf was a man again. Noctis shoved past the soldiers who stood by in the room, sending them flying and crashing into the walls in his anger. Giovanni watched the careless show of anger and power his son was displaying.

"How _dare_ you! You scheming old fox!" Noctis grabbed the front of his father's tunic.

Giovanni held his son's wrists. "Noctis I called you here for a reason! Surely you have seen the chaotic state that this country is in now! It has been this way for five days now, and you come here accusing me of creating some scheme?"  
Noctis growled, the sound of the wolf echoed in his voice, "Where is the queen? I will destroy her for assisting you with this trickery! I will not return to Nifleheim nor can you make my by having me believe that the queen of Bodhum has fallen in battle!"

Giovanni suddenly yanked his son's hand away then threw Noctis onto the long table harshly. The prince slid on the wooden surfaced then landed on the floor of the room. He got to his feet to glare at his father.

Giovanni banged his fist on the table. "Noctis Lucis Caelum! How _dare_ you take me for a conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not lying to you! Have you not seen the disorder? Have you not seen the suffering people as you entered this palace? Did you not see the carnage and the shattered homes as you walked by with your head held high? And yet you believe this to be a trick?"  
Noctis held out his hand, summoning his blade. It shone bright silver as he pointed it at his father. To the utter shock of those present in the room, the prince charged at the king with his sword.

Giovanni stood his ground as his son struck as the unseen shield that guarded Giovanni.

"I have cared for you and loved you, Noctis. Not once did I try to control you or hold you back from anything. Do not make me regret it, because it always made me smile when you did!" Giovanni exclaimed. Noctis snarled. "Love me? Where were you when Tenebrae struck Nifleheim? Where were you when I was forced to strike my blade into my love's heart? Where were you when I was in pain?" With every word Noctis struck his father's unseen shield; another mark of the Caelum's power.

Giovanni's eyes faded from its original color to a bloody crimson. "I have _always_ been there for you, boy! I came for you, I comforted you! You only pushed me away! I gave you time and space to recover but you left me, your kingdom, and your friends!"  
"To hell with the kingdom! All of you! Did you care for her? Did you ever once say she was important to you like she was to me? All of you are the reason Stella is not by my side!" Noctis cried out. The king had enough of his son's never-ending tirade. He summoned his own blade and struck at Noctis', causing the prince to lose his grip and the blade to dismiss itself in midair.

"_Think_, boy! Tenebare has always been part of the Cruor Mucro, but I allowed you to give that Fleuret woman a chance. Because I too thought you loving her would change her mind of her role in the dark kingdom! We were both wrong! She lied to you and that is why I despised her! I have seen you and how your devotion went far beyond, Noctis. I hate that woman, and I cannot forgive her for harming you!" Noctis grit his teeth and a strong gust of wind blew at the entire room.

The fearful guards did their best to hold their ground.

"I swore to myself I would kill any who spoke of her that way. You are no exception." The prince declared. His father kept his sword at his side, pointed at the ground. "Then kill me. Kill me if it will make you smile again, my beloved son. But I will not stand by while you disrespect others, including Lady Lightning." At the name, Noctis' wind turned to ice, freezing the long table. The guards moved closer to the door to avoid the magic impulse. "Lady Lightning! It is _always_ about Lady Lightning! That is all everyone in this damned world talks about! That foolish, arrogant child who should not even be sitting on that throne! Every day it was about Lady Lightning! Lady Lightning! Lightning! Lightning! _Lightning_!"

"You are not the only human in the world who has suffered, Noctis! Your mother and I did not raise you to be selfish and demanding; we raised you right because you are our son!" Giovanni countered Noctis' blizzard with fire. It melted the cold shards away into water. The prince stepped back. "You think I will fall for your lies?" The king raised his voice until it echoed down the halls. "I am not lying to you, you ungrateful pup! While you were out frolicking in the wilderness, Queen Farron was here, _fighting_ to defend her kingdom and her people! I came here with my own army to assist in battle, but despite the victory, the queen vanished."

Giovanni dismissed his sword but kept his defenses up. "I have sent a search to find Lady Farron and they have yet to return with any evidence of her falling in battle, or with the queen herself."

As soon as he spoke, the doors of the council room burst open. A soldier walked in, followed by his companions. He bowed to the king. "My lord. We have searched high and low until we came upon the last location Queen Farron was seen. However…" He took a step back, his expression grim. The other men behind him walked forward and dropped a round object on the table. "This was all that could be found." The entire room gasped; it was Lady Lightning's shield.

The golden Etro insignia was smudged with dirt but other than the filth it was still whole. "Did you find any bodies?" Giovanni inquired. The soldiers shook their heads. "None, Sire. General Fang and Lady Vanille are still recovering from their battle wounds so they were unable to do anything about the matter."

Noctis stared at the shield that laid there on the table, alone and separated from its master and the rest of her armor. He felt something inside him freeze like the blizzard spell he had summoned a moment ago. It had to be a lie. Nothing but lies; the queen of Bodhum has not fallen, he was sure. They were merely lying to him! But the sight of the abandoned shield was making it hard to believe that it was a trick at all…

Soon, someone else entered the room. Noctis looked up and knew who she was right away; it was Lady Serah, Queen Lightning's sister.

The younger Farron looked panicked and pale as she approached the shield the moment it caught her eye. Her hand cautiously drifted to the metallic piece of armor as if trying to see if this were all just a terrible dream. But the moment her fingers came in contact with the hard metal, her knees weakened and she collapsed onto them.

Giovanni moved to her side swiftly. "Lady Serah… I am so sorry." Serah shook her head and stood up. "What…what happened to my sister?" Giovanni held her shoulders lest she collapsed a second time. "I do not know; we are still scouting for witnesses among the soldiers. One of them must have seen what happened. And when that man comes forward he will tell you."  
Noctis watched through narrowed eyes. His anger and irritation settled somewhat but he had no intention on remaining here. Suddenly, Serah looked at him and he tensed. She moved closer and looked up at him.

"It's you. You are the wolf, are you not?"

"How…?"

"My sister wrote to me about you. I have never felt such annoyance in her letters before."

To Noctis' surprise, she smiled and giggled as she said those words. Lightning's sister was oddly…softer than her older sibling but Noctis could easily see the makings of a Farron in her, just like her sister. Serah spoke again, "This may seem odd but I do believe my sister enjoyed the brief times you had together, both before and after she discovered who you truly were. It may sound unbelievable but my sister rarely lies."

Noctis snorted. "Is that so?"

Despite his attitude, Serah remained rather friendly, much to the prince's surprise. However her smile began to falter. "I am so worried… I need to step outside for a moment." Giovanni nodded. "I understand. Let me accompany you." As the king and second Farron left the room, Noctis, not knowing why he did so, followed behind them.

Serah took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her panicked state. "I must thank you for being there for my sister, Lord Giovanni. I know Lightning is grateful as well; but as you know, she is not very good with words unless she needs to play part of politician."  
Giovanni laughed heartily. "Indeed." Noctis sighed but wisely decided not to speak. He wanted to leave, but for some reason he felt that he needed to trail behind his father and the youngest Farron. He was not sure what might have gotten into him, but his instincts kept urging him on.

The Serah and Giovanni strolled along with Noctis behind them for a long while. Serah was growing anxious until a soldier ran to them, announcing that they had found a witness who had seen a majority of Queen Farron's activities on the battlefield.

The three returned to the council room where a soldier—most likely the witness—sat in the corner of the room, shaking somewhat. Serah approached him and felt his forehead gently. The man was touched by the gesture and nearly sobbed. "Are you well enough? If not then you may rest before you speak." Serah said but the soldier shook his head. "I must speak now."  
He stood up and looked at the queen's sister in the eyes. "I was there; I saw Queen Lightning and what happened…" He gestured to his leg. "I had received injury in the middle of the battle so I retreated to where I felt was safe. But as I attempted to heal myself, I saw the queen…"

_-XIII-_

_Lightning lifted her sword, blocking the large blade that came down upon her. Her opponent laughed and shoved her to the side, nearly knocking her off her feet and off the cliff they stood on._

"_Pointless. You should know by now that your pitiful attempts are all for naught." The man's purple hair flowed with the hard wind that blew past them. Lightning's feathered sash danced with the wind as well as she stood up to face her enemy once more.  
Lightning pointed her sword at him, her eyes sparked with determination. "Threaten me until your last breath, Caius Ballad. But just know that even if it takes me forever, I will end you." Caius laughed in amusement. "Bodhum is nearly overthrown, yet you still intend to win?"_

_Lightning smirked. "Of course."_

_Suddenly, shard of ice emerged from beneath Caius' feet, trapping him in an icy prison. However, as soon as his body was incased in eyes, the king of Valhalla broke free with ease.  
Lightning instantly leapt at him during his distraction with breaking out of the ice she summoned. She landed a successful hit which pushed him back._

_Caius growled and struck his sword into the ground. His eyes glowed red, but nothing like the Caelums' whose eyes turn red rather than glow._

_Dark energy emitted from his hand and Lightning braced herself for the impact. Caius threw his hand out, launching the dark energy at the young queen. Lightning lifted her left arm and the dark attack struck her shield and harmlessly bounced off.  
She made her next move as soon as the attacked moved off her shield. Lightning moved in and swung her blade at Caius. He grabbed his own sword and struck back. Sparks flew from the clash of the two blades._

_It was like a dance of death; whoever gets struck would surely have their life ended. But neither of Lightning nor Caius planned on allowing it to happen to them._

_They seemed equally matched but Lightning was faster than Valhalla's arrogant king. To her dismay, Caius kept smiling as they clashed swords. Lightning was tiring but nobody could tell, and she surely did not look as if she were ready to collapse from exhaustion anytime soon. Lightning dodged an oncoming strike then countered with her own, sending Caius flying back and giving Lightning the chance to move away from the dangerous drop she had been close to. She moved fast towards her enemy and lifted her sword above her head for the final strike._

_A blur of black and silver caught her eye. Lightning's eyes widened. "What!" She leapt back, narrowly avoiding having her arm sliced off by the intruder. _

_King Sephiroth of Midgar smirked at her cruelly as he moved at her as if he were flying. Caius got to his feet and struck Lightning from behind. The queen turned in time to block his attack then kicked her leg behind her, hitting Sephiroth in the abdomen. She was once again cornered at the edge of the cliff. Harsh waves of the ocean crashed at the foot of the cliff below her and her two opponents._

_The two men mirrored each other's expression as they looked at her. Lightning remained focus and calculated her next move carefully. Her eyes measured every possibility she had but once she was certain she had everything settled she moved.  
Caius ran at her with Sephiroth at his side. Lightning was swift like her name suggested and made her way to the men who were part of the Cruor Mucro. She jumped, intending to strike down between them with a thunder spell, thus shocking them into oblivion._

_Suddenly, Sephiroth disappeared and reappeared behind Lightning. She turned around, intending to strike him but Caius lifted his blade and slashed at her lower back. Lightning roared in pain and then was impaled at the abdomen by Sephiroth's long blade. The silver-haired king of Midgar tossed her to the very edge of the cliff._

_Lightning got up, far from defeated. However, her overly-exerted body froze. Lightning felt her heart jump rapidly then it slowed down to the point that it was difficult to breath. The queen clutched her chest. "No… Not now!" She growled to herself as pain engulfed her body. She coughed harshly and spat out blood at her enemy's feet._

_Sephiroth looked amused. "What is this? Is the queen finally at her limit?" Caius chuckled at his ally's remark. Sephiroth walked over to the queen as she struggled to stand up. The moment she did, she was once again met with the Masamune in her abdomen.  
She gagged out blood as she tried hard to breathe. Sephiroth moved closer to the edge of the cliff with Lightning skewered on his sword. "Farewell, Queen of Bodhum."_

_Without warning, Lightning grabbed onto Sepiroth's sword and grunted. A powerful electric shock emitted from her hands to the sword until it reached the silver-haired man, electrifying him. Before Caius can assist, a powerful lightning bolt rained down from the sky and hit both of them. Enraged by the queen's last resort of attack, Sephiroth lifted his arm, throwing Lightning away into the sky over the ocean. He stretched his hand out and released a powerful flare. Caiuse unleashed his own inferno and the deadly blaze struck Lightning in midair._

_Lightning was engulfed by the flare and its white chocking smoke as soon as the two attacks hit her. She felt herself falling into oblivion until she could no longer see or hear._

_Sephiroth and Caius clutched their sides in pain from the bolts that had struck them. Their wounds began bleeding. But at the very least they had managed to get rid of Queen Farron. However in their condition, it might simply be best to retreat for now.  
The two kings from the Cruor Mucro limped down the cliff, unaware of the frightened, wounded soldier who watched the entire event from behind his hiding spot where he had been attempting to recover from his terrible leg injury._

_-XIII-_

"I rushed to the foot of the cliff as fast as my injury would let me. And by the time I had arrived, the queen's horse was already there, along with her Majesty's shield." The soldier ended his tale and was now shaking from recalling such a terrible incident. "It could be possible that the queen might have…either drowned or the flare spell could have destroyed her before that."

Giovanni shook his head in disbelief, not sure of what to say. The soldiers of Bodhum exchanged murmurs and whispers of panic while Noctis stood there frozen. Serah said nothing.

For a moment there was a grieving silence until Serah finally spoke. "My sister is alive! I know she is! I was told that no bodies were found and if she did survive the flares then she might have been washed ashore somewhere!"  
"Lady Serah, we understand that this might be hard to accept but…" The soldier was cut off when Serah shook her head. "No. I know my sister; she would not allow herself to fall so easily. She is stubborn and foolhardy. Too stubborn to die!" Noctis raised an eyebrow in amusement at this statement. The soldiers seemed reluctant to get their hopes up too high, for what if their queen did perish?

Serah left the council room without another word. She knew Lightning better than anyone else and she knew her sister was alive. It would be unlike Lightning if she were to die from merely a few hits from magic; she had survived worse. But there was still something Serah was concerned of the most, and that is her sister was alive, she could only hope Lightning would not over-exert her body…

Noctis followed Serah out and stood watching her at a distance.

Why and how was she was certain that Lightning was still living after how the solider had described the fight between her and the two men from two of the dark kingdoms? Sephiroth was ruthless and unforgiving and Caius was known for his power and cunning.

Valhalla and Tenebrae also happened to be close allies, along with Midgar. Thinking back to what the soldier had said, it seemed odd that Sepiroth, ruler of Midgar would be with Caius when only Tenebrae and Valhalla struck. However it was not completely unusual; Midgar was once ruled by the Shinra royal family. They too were a part of the Cruor Mucro. However, the Shinra family had proved to be nothing but hapless pigs who rather than use their power fed their faces like lazy devils. Sephiroth was once general of Valhalla's army, but became king when his lord and master Caius offered him Midgar but simply ordering him to slaughter the entire Shinra line.

It all means that until now despite being king of Midgar, Sephiroth would still willingly answer the calls of King Caius as his general but also as an allied king to Valhalla.

Such combination between those two men was a deadly threat but so far they had always been outmatched and forced to retreat, but it seems they are growing stronger and stronger still, even managing to toss away Queen Farron with ease. And yet Serah Farron still believes that her sister had stubbornly denied death. Noctis was curious; the way Serah had spoken sounded like Lightning had denied death before.

Serah noticed the prince. "Yes Prince Noctis?"

"… You speak like your sister has escaped death before."

"Indeed she has. This is not the first time, though I do constantly worry, I know my sister would never leave Bodhum vulnerable."

"Why do you seem so sure of yourself?"

"Well…I am a Farron after all. My sister and I understand each other well. And I know for a fact that Lightning is indeed alive. I am sure she might be terribly injured but the point is she is still living."

"If she did not perish from the attacks then perhaps she may die from her wounds."

Serah stared at Noctis as he said those words. She sighed. "My sister knows white magic. I know she will be able to at least heal some of her wounds."  
Noctis was rather surprised she did not become offended of his assumption. "And let us say that she is alive. How would it even be possible for her to travel and return here with such injuries?"

Serah walked off and Noctis followed behind her. "That is why I have decided." She walked to the stables where Odin's loud cries could be heard. "I have decided to look for my sister!" Noctis blinked. "You are a fool if you do so. You understand that there are dangers out there, do you not?"

"Of course I do! But that does not matter! Lightning is out there and I need to find her, and bring her home." Serah entered the stables. She walked up to an enraged and panicked Odin. Upon seeing Serah he cried out desperately, begging her to let him out. She stroked his nose. "I understand, Odin. I will go and look for Lightning." Odin calmed down but tensed at Serah's next words, "But I cannot take you with me. You need to stay here and recover from your own injuries. I promise you I will find her."

Odin wanted to beg. But he knew once a Farron has made a decision, it is set in stone. Serah nodded in approval when the horse calmed down at last. Odin watched as Serah left the stables and met with a dark-haired man. Odin narrowed his eyes and snorted. It was _him_.

Serah sighed and walked into the palace once again. Noctis sighed in defeat and decided that perhaps he should stay in the garden for the time being. He was unsure as to why he was feeling this strange curiosity within him. Perhaps it was merely the sheer mystery of everything around him that made him wonder about Queen Farron.

Not much was known about her except that she was loved and hated—loved by her people and her allies, but despised by the Cruor Mucro and common folk who simply disliked anything to do with the monarchy. It was known that as a child of fifteen, she already took to the throne, and by age sixteen she fought in her very first war, experiencing her first taste of victory. She was a wise and convincing politician but is known to be distant and perhaps slightly introverted.

There were whispers of her courage, her elegance, speed, and her beauty. Yet despite these whispers, some say she was humble, not at all thinking of herself as either of those.

Noctis felt like it was only the surface that was being scratched. What was underneath Queen Lightning's mask? An arrogant child or something else that nobody would be able to understand? Against his better judgment, Noctis felt that it was time he unraveled the mystery that Queen Lightning Farron was shrouded in since her rise to the throne.

* * *

Serah emerged from her sister's room, dressed in new clothing. It was green in color with hints of red and white around the edge of the sleeves. In her hand she held her bow with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back, with a sword at her side. She took a deep breath and walked towards the exit.

She stepped outside and headed for the front gate. Noctis stopped her midway. "You are truly going to look for her? Even if it might be a lost cause?" "Wouldn't you do the same for your father or mother if it were them?" Serah replied.  
Noctis was silent. He had displayed violence towards his father; however he did not regret it. But at the mention of his mother… Queen Lucia Caelum was someone he adored until now despite her death, and of course he would never allow his mother to rot in the outside world if she needed him.

Noctis was not sure why he said it, but for some reason he felt driven to do so, "Very well…then I will go with you." Serah's eyes widened. "What?" "I will accompany you…to find your sister." Noctis repeated grudgingly.

Serah smiled. "Thank you. I know that you and my sister did not start of on the right foot, but I am sure she must have tried to make amends for it." Noctis tensed; Lightning indeed tried to make amends by inviting him to the ball. However he'd left Nifleheim on the night of the ball with only his father attending to make the queen look bad.

"You may change your mind Prince. I do not mind so do not force yourself to do what you do not wish to." Serah told him, adjusting her quiver.

Noctis frowned at her. "I said I will accompany you. A woman like yourself has no chance of survival on your own!" Serah laughed instead. "Very well, if you insist, Prince Noctis." He sighed. "We will be traveling together…so refer to me as Noctis and only Noctis."  
The younger Farron smiled. "Then, call me Serah, Noctis." The prince nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. But just remember I am only coming with you to make sure you do not make a fool of yourself and enter the lair of death."

Serah smirked knowingly. "Of course…" She mumbled with a giggle in her voice. Noctis groaned; were all Farron women like this?

As they walked to the gates of the palace, Lord Giovanni stood there along with Fang and Vanille who were wrapped in bandages. The king approached his son. "You are going as well?" Noctis nodded. "Might as well. After all, I do not wish to stay here and a woman like Serah won't last long out there. I will be killing two birds with one stone."  
Fang approached Noctis and grabbed the collar of his tunic. "You guard Serah with your life and return Lightning to us, or so help me I will skin your wolf form alive!" Noctis smacked her hand away. "Very well then…" Vanille moved towards Serah with a small sack in her hand. She gave it to the younger Farron. "In case you become hungry." Serah smiled and accept it. "Thank you Vanille." She tied the small sack to her waist.

"You take care of yourself, my son." Giovanni said. Noctis tried not to look at his father. "… And you as well." The king nodded and the gates of the palace opened. Serah and Noctis stepped forward and headed out.

Serah felt her heart sink with despair when she looked around her to see the people of Bodhum working hard to rebuild what had been destroyed. She dared not say anything about her sister lest it may cause a panic. She and the prince approached the gates of Bodhum and the reluctant guards opened it to allow the two to exit. Noctis looked at Serah, silently wondering if she was even ready to tackle such a world. As if sensing his silent question, she looked up and him and nodded. "Yes, I am ready. For my sister." Noctis nodded and continued to walk on.

Serah looked beyond the horizon as she and Noctis walked onwards._ "Wait for us, Lightning. We will find you. I promise."_

* * *

**I will end it here now you guys.**

**This was rather interesting for me to write because now as you can see that things went to hell fast. And basically Caius and Sephiroth cheap-shot Lightning in that battle; well bad guys love to make cheap shots, I am sure.**

**I made Caius the king of Valhalla because it just seems to suit him. Besides, Valhalla practically means "Hall of the Slain". It just sounds like something that fits Caius for his place of rule. Sephiroth impaling Lightning is a little reference to when he did that to Cloud in Final Fantasy VII and in Advent Children.**

**Noctis decided to follow Serah because, as much as he does not want to admit it, he wonders why Lightning is so loved by most people to the point that even her sister would rush out into the wilderness just to find her even if she was dead. The clothing Serah is now wearing on their journey is her White Mage DLC costume from Final Fantasy XIII-2 and her bow is just a normal bow and arrow. She has a sword as her secondary weapon. I chose her White Mage outfit to be her "default outfit" now because it suits the setting and looks like a medieval outfit.**

**Noctis seems to be a little bit polite to Serah but it is because she is younger than he is and much more softer compared to Lightning who he sees as too intimidating, while Serah, to him, is more harmless thus he makes his excuse that he thinks she would not survive on her own to cover up his own growing intrigue about Lightning.**

**But what about Lightning herself? After that cheap shot from Sephiroth and Caius, what is to become of her?**

**Now if any of you are wondering, no Lightning is not attracted to Noctis as of yet. The reason she said she wanted to know what it was like to be promised to and to be either rejected or accepted means that since she has paid more attention to her duty more than herself, emotions such as the feeling you get when someone promises you something and then the feelings of being rejected or accepted are new to her. Basically, Lightning is doubting her ability to feel new emotions, such as happiness even?**

**I also want to announce that the very first Lightning Returns trailer is out now on YouTube, in English! That's right everybody, apparently they could not wait for Saturday either. I am not sure if Square Enix will remove the trailer or not. But if so then hope it is still there, and just enjoy it. I have to say, Lightning is as amazing as ever.**

**As always if you are curious or confused about anything let me know and I will do my best to answer you in the next chapter. Stay cool everyone!**

**Until then…**


	14. Chapter XIV: Questio

**Disclaimer: ****Thank you everybody! I am happy you are enjoying Sanctuaire so far. I am also having fun with writing it myself! Enjoy this new little chapter as a treat for your patience and for simply liking this story! **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XIV: Questio**

"Why did you decide to go off on your own?"

Serah looked at the large black wolf walking beside her when he asked his question. She looked up at the clear blue skies at that moment. "I was aware that no one else would believe that Lightning would have survived such as attack. But I know better; I have seen the many times when she had been struck by blows that could have otherwise killed a man." "And yet it did not kill her?" Noctis' voice was still the same but had more of an echoed growl when he spoke as the wolf.

"My sister is too stubborn to die. I swear her determination is what her most lethal weapon is; nothing can break it." Serah sounded so proud whenever she spoke of her older sister. Noctis was not sure what to make of it, for he had no siblings himself.

The two of them have been traveling for five days now, and despite Serah seeming to be not as strong as her sister, she proved to be persistent and rather stubborn as well when Noctis suggests she stays back to rest for a bit, which Serah refused and only continued to walk onwards. Noctis could clearly see the stubbornness of the Farrons, or was it only the sisters who were stubborn?  
Still, when she did tire, Serah would sit down for a few minutes then was ready to begin again. All in all, she did not slow them down during their journey like Noctis had expected she would. Serah was just as robust as Lightning but more feminine and delicate, unlike the older sister whose body had slight traces of hard muscles underneath her feminine form.

A fond smile crept up to Serah's lips. "Lightning has always been looking after me rather than herself… Sometimes I wish she would just think for herself just this once."

Noctis frowned inwardly. "My apologies for saying so but I am not interested in listening about how humbled your sister may be." Serah sighed and nodded apologetically.  
Serah Farron, Noctis had to admit, had the face of a sweet little child in his opinion. The moment her smile fell from her face he was immediately reminded of a young girl who was disappointed that her father did not return home for the evening.  
The wolf groaned; why did Queen Farron have to be intimidating and compensate for it by having such an angelic child-looking sister?

It seems as though the Farrons had more cunning in them than expected. But then again, if he wished to know of Queen Farron a bit more, perhaps listening to her sister was an advantage.

"I am sorry; I should not have said it that way. But…perhaps you can tell me of what kind of queen your sister is. I have heard whispers and gossip of her nearly everywhere, and I am not making an exaggeration." Noctis said, lowering his large head to Serah's eye level.  
Serah considered this for a moment then nodded. "Very well… I will say that, yes, my sister _is_ a magnificent queen. I do not say this because she is my sister; I am stating it as a truth. She has worked hard for years in order for Bodhum to come this far."

"I see… And the rumors of her swordsmanship?"

"Hm…how do I describe it? It always seems as if a sword is always at home in Lightning's hand. It is like she was born with the talent. Even at an early age she insisted on learning how to use swords despite Father's protests. But Lightning is stubborn; she refused to be denied so she continued to ask and reason with Father until he allowed her to begin training."

"And it seems she still has this stubbornness of hers…?"

"Very much."

"And she has narrowly avoided death before?"

"Plenty of times. Which is the reason I worry so much despite the knowledge that she is a great swordsman."

Noctis observed Serah as spoke. The younger sister looked up to and admired Lightning and she was sincere with her answers. The prince huffed; he had hoped to avoid hearing any worshipful words about Lightning but it seemed unavoidable. Perhaps he should stop questioning? But his curious side was too strong to allow him to back away from the mystery that was Lightning Farron of Bodhum.

Serah sensed the wolf's discomfort and stopped speaking after that. However she did speak of different topics with the prince from time to time when she sensed that he was in the mood for idle chatter.

Noctis was very knowledgeable about the outside world; from the different kinds of vegetation, culture, areas that he has explored during his three-year absence, and even the odd dishes that most people do not dare try but must for they are actually tasty delicacies.

Serah admitted the prince was rather nice at times and there were moments when he was completely rude, but Serah was not offended. Lightning being her sister, she experienced the same kind of behavior during her sister's time as a young woman of seventeen and then eighteen—eighteen-years-old was when Lightning has been at her worst.

When the two finally decided to rest, without Serah insisting she was still fine for once, Noctis was impressed with how adapted she was. She managed to start a fire on her own even without the use of a fire spell.

"You seem fine on your own. Perhaps I underestimated your ability to adapt." Noctis admitted. Serah chuckled. "Lightning trained me. I had once insisted I learn to use weapons like her, and after much argument she relented. Of course I did expect it to be difficult but my sister is rather strict, and pushed me past my limits at times. But I knew she was trying to make me stronger. She even had me take a survival test; bringing me out into the wilderness, a few miles away from the kingdom to test my survival abilities. She even left me alone for seven days then returned to inspect my progress."

Noctis' eyes widened. As cruel it must have sounded on the surface, Noctis knew it was indeed just a sister training her more delicate sibling to grow a backbone of her own. Though it still shocked him slightly at how the queen trained her own flesh and blood. But with the smile that was on Serah's face, she seemed to cherish the memory.

"You do not seem rather upset upon remembering that moment." He said after a moment of silence. Serah shook her head. "Quite the contrary really. I enjoyed myself because I had the chance to prove to her that I can look after myself even without her there. But I knew all along that she was still there watching my progress from the distance even though she said she was returning to Bodhum." Serah's smile widened, "I knew she was still in the area because when she returned to me, Odin was not with her when she did. She could not have been able to run all those miles so quickly by herself without him."

The wolf morphed into a man in an instant and sat by the fire, legs crossed. As he stared into the fire, Serah's words made him think; Queen Farron indeed sounded strict, especially when it came to training. But when the young Farron mentioned of how Lightning lacked her horse because she did not truly leave, was quite touching… He shook his head.

Not noticing his reaction, Serah poked into the fire with a stick. "It took me such a long time to rid myself of my fears from being alone without Lightning. But I knew I had to learn because I knew one day she might not be there even though she insists she would never leave my side. I had a hard time starting a fire without the use of magic. My sister gave me restrictions; not using magic was one of them. I had only the clothes that I was wearing and a sword for defense."

Noctis cleared his throat, trying not to imagine the touching scene occurring between the sisters; with Lightning hiding in the shadows and Serah struggling to start a fire and build herself a shelter from the heavy rains and predation.

Hours passed and soon Serah was asleep. However, Noctis could see she kept her weapons by her side at all times and even awoke from time to time to inspect their surroundings despite knowing that he was keeping watch over both of them. It seems Queen Farron's training had indeed been met with amazing results. That means she was a wonderful but strict teacher.

When morning came, Serah was fully awake. Noctis had announced he was to catch them something to eat, but before he turned into the wolf, Serah protested. She insisted on hunting herself. Amused, the prince allowed her the pleasure of doing so.  
Serah immediately grabbed her bow and ran to a clearing where a pack of gorgonopsid were. Noctis raised an eyebrow; carnivorous beasts such as those were difficult prey. Yet he said nothing, interested in seeing how it will turn in Serah's favor.

Serah remained hidden in the bush and slowly took out an arrow from her quiver and took aim. Her arm was steady and she focused on her prey. A gorgonopsid that wandered from its pack was her quarry; her arrow was aimed right at its flank to ensure it would not get up easily to escape or attack. Noctis observed in silence as Serah pulled her arm back, hand and aim steady, and eyes focused.

After two heartbeats, Serah released the arrow.

It flew at a great speed towards the beast and struck it right on the flank. Its pack members turned their heads to see what had happened before retreating from whoever was hunting them.  
Serah rushed out of the bush towards the prey and drew out her sword. The creature swiped at her with its deadly sharp claws. Serah jumped back then countered with her blade. She stabbed the feral creature in the chest but it resisted its demise. Noctis rushed in as the wolf and dug his fangs into the gorgonopsid's neck, ending its life.

After the life faded from its eyes, the wolf pulled away and was a man again. Noctis was impressed though he did not breathe a word to Serah.

The younger Farron dragged the catch back to their camp and dropped it at the side while she prepared another fire. Noctis took it upon himself to cut up the meat while she did so.  
Serah had the fire ready as soon as Noctis was finished with preparing the meat for cooking. It was then roasted over the fire until it was edible. The meat was rather good and Noctis was surprised that Serah had no qualms about killing and eating a wild beast.

"It was a part of my training as well." Serah had explained when he expressed his surprise. Of course, how could he forget? Lightning had apparently taught her sister everything from hunting and surviving, to using weapons.

Once their small feast was over, they began their journey again.

Serah sighed and took in the beauty around them. No doubt Noctis was doing the same. However, Lightning was what was on Serah's mind constantly. She wanted nothing more than to locate her sister, whole and well, and unbothered by any kind of certain pain.  
"How did you manage to lose your fear of being alone in the wild?" Noctis asked her suddenly. She thought for a moment. "Well I suppose I did it by thinking of the world's beauty and seeing it that way rather than as dangerous."

It made sense, Noctis thought. Farrons seem rather adaptable to change it seems.

Already he felt like he was learning much from Serah, even some childhood stories surprised Noctis despite his attempts to sound indifferent, but nobody had ever whispered words of the queen's early childhood rather than her younger days before she became queen.

So far Noctis had discovered that Queen Lightning had a big appetite, she had met and seemingly tamed Odin when she was fifteen and already queen—Serah had said she would tell him the full story of Lightning and her horse some other time. He also learned Lightning would spend time with the roses and Serah said it was because she felt at home among them; Lightning had spent time out of the palace and around in the bazaar more often when she was ten years of age, much to the dismay of some of the servants.  
And to Noctis' surprise, Serah revealed that Lightning had never once allowed a man to court her or even touch her with intimacy. Thinking back to the time he and Lightning had confronted Count Gilgamesh, Noctis had thought it was natural considering that any woman in her right mind would never allow such a blowhard to touch her.

But when Serah had described Lightning being of such purity that even her lips were virgins, Noctis felt warmth stir within him. He coughed the awkwardness away, but it did nothing to rid himself of the strange warmth.

He did not like how pleasant it felt and tried to shake it away without drawing Serah's attention to him. Why was he so interested with the fact that Lady Lightning had never once kissed a man, nor had she even allowed or initiated intimate contact with anyone; it was almost more than he could bear, and the warmth only grew within him even more much to his dismay.

Serah also shared rather amusing stories such as when Lightning and Fang had walked into a brothel while investigating odd occurrences upon Lord Squall Leonhart's request. Serah told Noctis of how several of the brothel girls came up to Lightning and attempted to seduce her. Fang had been in hysterics, but Lightning was less than pleased.  
When Noctis voiced several doubts, Serah explained that some women did mistaken Lightning for a beautiful man, but the other half did find Lightning rather handsome nonetheless despite her gender and accosted her anyway, even going so far as to offer herself to Lightning as a lady consort.

Noctis choked back his laughter at the thought of it.

"I suppose Lightning always was a handsome woman." Serah said, having fallen into a fit of giggles. She remembered clearly when Lightning had returned from her quest that King Squall had sent her on as a favor. Her sister had been irritated and Fang had a difficult time with controlling her laughter.

A warm rose bath had calmed Lightning down somewhat but Fang only brought it to the surface once more by laughing, and even sharing it with Vanille. Lightning had been seventeen at that time, and Serah fourteen.

Noctis was in disbelief, and more than a little amused. So it seems this queen made of stone did have her odd moments after all. And to be courted with by other women would have been a sight to see, and imagining what the queen's expressions were like was quite the entertainment. Serah continued to smile throughout their journey as she shared several more stories, with some she did refuse to tell him until they have found Lightning.

Perhaps this journey would not be so dull after all. And perhaps Lightning was out there somewhere, alive and well. Serah's heart soared with the thought of being able to embrace her sister again.

* * *

**I know this chapter is rather short. However that is because this is meant to be a sort of introductory chapter, introducing how the journey with Serah and Noctis started off. As you can see, Noctis is not as mean to Serah but as it was stated in the chapter, it is because she reminds him of a child.**

**This chapter is short also because it's sort of a special "intermission" for you guys. A treat I wanted to give you for all the times you read, gave your opinion, and enjoyed Sanctuaire especially if you had been following it since it started as a simple story arc from Chronicles. Thanks to you, the Lonely Queen arc, now titled Sanctuaire has come so far as its own tale.**

**And there is still much more to come! Note that the title of the chapter is now Latin instead of French.**

**And yes, Serah has revealed to Noctis that Lightning is still a virgin. Oh my, how embarrassing. As you can see, there were many moments Serah had shared with Lightning and it was both hard times and good times but nevertheless, she cherishes them all. And of course even women would be attracted to her. Come now female readers don't deny it. If it makes you feel better, I do feel attracted to her as well sometimes!**

**Before I forget, I believe one of you readers asked me how damaged Noctis' psyche is that he is just that stubborn. Well my answer is: Noctis is in complete and absolute denial, he refuses to let the past go and that will be a while.**

**Also, I am afraid Lightning will be missing in action for a while and it will be focused on Serah and Noctis. Already it seems they are having an alliance with each other and Serah despite Noctis' occasional rudeness, is used to it. After all, her sister had gone through that phase once before as stated.**

**Like always ask questions if you are confused or wish to confirm something; I will answer it as best as I can!**

**Until then…**


	15. Chapter XV: Impedimentum

**Disclaimer: ****I'm glad you liked the chapters I have been putting up. I do love writing; it is one of my passions. I also hope that someday I will be even greater when it comes to writing. Alright, enough musings for now. Here is another chapter for you to enjoy! Consider it a sort of pre-Christmas special I guess. Unless I make another one soon. But we will see how it goes! **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XV: Impedimentum**

Serah and Noctis rushed into the thick bushes, making sure to keep their heads down. They remained silent when the footsteps behind them finally caught up to them. Serah stared at the large dirty boots that was in front of her, though thankfully its wearer did not notice her.  
Noctis grit his fangs in annoyance; he and the young Farron had been merely passing by when a large brute had become rather infatuated with Noctis' black wolf form. He had pursued them endlessly in an attempt to hunt Noctis down; reminding the prince of the first time he ever encountered Queen Farron.

The man looked around anxiously, desperate to get his grimy hands on the gigantic black wolf that had been traveling with the young girl. His hunting knife was gripped in his hands tightly; once he finds that wolf he intended to take its fur and sell it for a price. Seeing nobody about, he rushed off in another direction.

Once their pursuer was out of sight, Serah breathed a sigh of relief. Beside her, the wolf was a man again. She frowned, thinking deeply. "Perhaps it might be best if you do not use the wolf for a while. There is no telling if the next person we meet would have a deathly infatuation with wolf hides." Noctis nodded in silent agreement; he was getting rather bored of being chased for his pelt whenever people took a glimpse at his lupine form.

The two crept out of the bush and dashed off in the opposite direction of their pursuer.

Just twelve days since they began their journey in search of Lightning, Serah and Noctis had managed to encounter several hindrances that either intended to take Noctis' fur or plunder from them.  
So far they had managed to avoid any unwanted fights and escaped from each obstacle. But with the number of odd encounters they had been having, both of them knew it was becoming more and more dangerous as they went on.

Noctis lifted his head and inhaled the smells around him; his wolf form had amazing sense of smell, and he is able to use the ability even when he is human. Quite useful indeed.

He nodded towards a direction and went onward. Serah followed him, keeping her eyes open for any potential danger. As someone who wields a bow and arrows, Serah knew having keen eyes was important; keen eyes and good attention span. She intended to prove to Lightning when she found her that her training did not go to waste.

"Can you run?" Noctis asked, knowing that the faster to move to a different area, the sooner they will be able to continue on their way. Serah kept her hand on the hilt of her sword in the event she might need it as a use for defense of intimidation, though she knew she was not as good with intimidating people like her sister was.

Noctis was tense, but as soon as the scent of their pursuer completely vanished, he relaxed. "All is clear now." Serah nodded and dropped her hand from her sword's hilt.

Without a moment to spare, the prince and Serah dashed off, not bothering to look behind them. They would be already long gone by the time their pursuer realized he had been duped.  
"I am impressed; you managed to keep calm…" Noctis stopped in the middle of his speech when Serah giggled. "I already told you; it was all part of my training from Lightning. She would never leave me alone if she knew I did not know even one technique of survival." The prince groaned; everything seemed to revolve around Lightning. But then again she was the person they were searching for since the beginning of this journey.

Serah was a determined young woman, and at only eighteen years of age, she was wise and, at times, had the tongue of a scholar.

Again, she seemed to know what he was thinking of. "I love reading; I always dreamed that one day I would begin an academy for children, and perhaps even for those of older age."  
Noctis raised an eyebrow at this; he knew Lightning loved to read since he did spend time with her in the library before she learned of his true identity. "Did you study the languages of each nation?" He asked. Serah nodded. "Yes. But Lightning is more fluent in every language, even knowing how to write down the figures and letters. I am still learning how to speak the language of Nibelheim, but Lightning knows all of them."

"Is that so?" Noctis seemed skeptical. He has studied each and every language; this was not unusual for being a monarch meant communicating with other nations and learning their language was practically a requirement.

Serah looked up at the sky in thought, making a mental list before reciting it out loud for Noctis to hear. "Lightning knows how to speak and write all languages. She is fluent in the language of Al Bhed and the different Spiran speech, Nibelheim, Midgar, Tenebrae, Valhalla, Nifleheim, Balamb, Galbadia, Arcadia, Dalmasca, and Palompolum to name a few."

"A _few_?"

"Lightning also studied the ancient languages, the speeches that are known to be dead to the world. I am sure you have seen the book she reads; Fabula Nova Crystallis."

"Yes…?"

"My sister had researched and studied every document until she finally was able to learn and understand the language of the book's title."

"What language was it in?"

"I cannot quite remember. I have been meaning to question Lightning about it but it always seems to slip my mind. Perhaps once we reunite with her, I will have the chance to do so."

The prince said no more and continued to focus on walking onward. He was glad that Serah was not overly talkative and respected peace and quiet if she sensed he was in no mood to speak or listen. In fact even if he was in the mood for chatter, she would sometimes remain silent and not make a sound. Perhaps it came from having a sister such as Queen Farron.

Noctis resisted the urge to tell Serah which languages he knew, but his pride could not take the thought of being bested by the queen when it came to the different languages and writings. Why did Queen Lightning perfect nearly everything there was to achieve? What did she hope to achieve by besting everyone around her in everything?

It was growing dark but Serah felt too restless to stop and set a camp up.

Noctis understood and the continued on their way. The more he spoke with Serah, the more he was beginning to understand—if only a little—why Lightning cherished her sister so much. Though he had briefly encountered Serah as the wolf when they first met, they were now companions on this probably-pointless quest. But Serah was a Farron and Noctis was slowly learning that they were stubborn and determined, not matter what their persona was like.

"Noctis?" The prince looked at Serah, hearing his name, "What was your mother like?" Serah asked. The prince sighed. "She was…a kind woman; she loved flowers which is why she always used to tell me how Bodhum's royal family had the most wonderful forest of a garden."  
The young Farron smiled with pride. "What flowers were her favorite?" "I am not sure. She loved them all, but I believe she was fascinated with roses the most; red ones." Noctis replied.

Oddly enough, Serah seemed to find this amusing because she started giggling and Noctis wondered if he said something odd that was worth laughing over.

"Remember when I told you how my sister always seemed at home with roses?" Noctis nodded at her question. "I always felt that Lightning would have been a red rose…" Serah mused and closed her eyes as the evening winds blew though her hair and at her face.  
Noctis was puzzled now. "How so?" Serah shook her head. "I think it would be best if you figured it out yourself, Prince. It would be more intriguing that way than just to have me tell you." She continued walking ahead while Noctis slowed his pace slightly when his thoughts began running.

Lightning Farron as a rose? What was that supposed to make any sort of sense? Why must people speak in riddles?

It did not take long until the travelers reached a lake. The moon shone upon the clear surface of the water. Serah stared at her reflection and the moon's. Her mind was constantly on her sister; she wanted nothing more than to embrace her and scold her for allowing herself to get hurt like she did, especially when…  
No. She would not think of that; finding Lightning was her purpose and to do that she needed to focus, just like her sister taught her. _"Oh Lightning…if only things had been a little different. But more than anything I wish to see you smile for once… Not the kind of smiles you give me, but a true smile."_

Noctis noticed the young woman's saddened posture. Odd, she seemed cheery a moment ago.

Serah felt the urge to ask Noctis what it was like to have at least a father by his side. But with how he was at the moment with his father and everyone else in the world, now was most likely not the time to ask him such things. She felt that is Lightning saw her on the verge of tears she would disapprove and tell her not to cry. So she held them back and straightened herself; she may not be as strong, sharp, and intimidating as her sister, but she was indeed a Farron and she will prove it even if it hurt.

Pushing away the heavy thoughts from her mind, Serah dipped her hands into the cold water and raised them to her lips to take a sip of the refreshing liquid.

The queen's sister seemed distress and Noctis could not help but be reminded of a child who was trying her best to be strong during hard times. He sighed and sat down, watching as the moon hung above him and his younger traveling companion. He wished to turn into the wolf and howl the heaviness in his heart away, but he agreed with Serah on avoiding using the form lest some more hunters become taken with him.

When Serah announced that she was ready to begin again, they stood, dusted their tunics off and went along the shore of the lake. It was silent between them was deafening, even for Noctis. He did not wish to admit it but he was beginning to enjoy the chatter of the young Farron, but he sensed her tension and anxiety so he let her be.

With so much obstacles appearing to hinder them on their quest, Noctis knew the fun in their search was about to come to an end. Now things will start becoming dangerous and difficult, but Serah Farron was still showing how well she could handle and adapt.  
When the moon's light was covered by the tall trees they walked by, Noctis thought it would be best if they actually stopped for the night. Serah did not protest and merely sat down and worked to start a fire. However this time she used a small fire spell; it showed that she was feeling distracted by heavy thoughts.

The companions laid by either side of the fire and closed their eyes, drifting off into a deep slumber.

_-XIII-_

"_Sister, why don't you rest for a moment?"_

"_I have no time for rest, Serah. I still have plenty I must attend to."_

"_You never have time for yourself now Lightning and I understand why. But please at least sleep for a moment or two."_

"_I said I have no time, Serah!"_

"_Please Lightning! I only want you to rest! Is that so difficult?"_

"_Yes. Especially when I am being called for urgent matters!"_

"… _You have changed, Sister."_

"_Of course."_

"_You are only eighteen, Lightning. You should also take time for yourself; you do not need to work yourself to death."_

"_I had no choice Serah! This is my duty and I will carry it out regardless!"_

"_You never used to raise your voice like this…"_

"_What are you implying, young sister?"_

"_It is as if you have become somebody different. At first you were stressed, as expected from a girl of fifteen, but now you…you have become…hard."_

"_I do what I must, Serah. You know that."_

"_But not like this!"_

"_What do you want of me, Serah? I protect the kingdom; I defend you and train you… What else do you want from me?"_

"_For you to rest! For you to stop working hard into the night until you faint!"_

"_I cannot rest Serah!"_

_The queen suddenly froze then slowly sat back down behind her study desk and inhaled calmly. Serah touched her sister's arm._

"_Lightning? Are you…?"_

"_I am fine Serah. Just please go and do whatever it is you have to."_

"_This is what I have to do. I am your sister, and my only wish is for you to stop placing every burden upon yourself."_

"_You know I have no other purpose, Serah. This is my duty, and I intend to fulfill it to its fullest."_

"_At the cost of your own health even?"_

"_Look at me Serah; I am still well and I can hold a sword perfectly. My hand does not shake and my body is not quivering."_

"_You are such a stubborn chocobo!"_

"_Please go Serah. I am in no mood to raise my voice again."_

_Lightning turned away. Serah lowered her head in dismay._

"_What happened to the sister I once had?"_

"… _She had to take the throne."_

_-XIII-_

Noctis could hear Serah's whimpering and opened an eye to look at her. The queen's sister was muttering in her sleep and shaking. Tears seemed to form and fall down her face as she slept. Was she dreaming of her sister?  
If so, then it seemed to frighten the young lady to tears, or perhaps they were memories of the past. He was not sure which one it was, but he was certain it was of Lightning; there was never anything else on Serah's mind.

He dared not interrupt her sleep; she needed rest and despite the tears her lips slowly began forming a smile after. Noctis wondered if he would ever sleep with a smile on his face again while sharing warmth with someone by his side. He dreaded feeling that way again, but at the same time, he wanted to know the feeling of it.

Queen Farron's face made it into his mind again. Her eyes and how they sparked with determination whenever she was faced with a challenge, her untamed hair as it flowed in the wind or when she moved like a bolt of lightning, just as her name implied.  
He tried shaking these thoughts from his head but they continued to pester him. Noctis growled and closed his eyes to sleep a dreamless sleep. There was no point in dreaming or remembering anymore; it was already a part of him and he intended to cling to it.

When morning arrived, they awoke to the sound of birds flapping their wings and singing their songs.

Serah was still silent but she no longer showed signs of tension. Noctis exhaled, wondering how she managed such a feat when it was difficult for him to push away such negative emotions.  
But when he thought about it, he remembered that he did want it that way. Serah picked up her bow and slung her quiver onto her back before she walked after Noctis who started off quickly.

When they encountered a tree that seemed to bear ripe fruit, Serah took out an arrow and aimed. Noctis stopped to watch as she shot the fruit out of the tree, then another. Serah collected the fruit and handed one to Noctis. It was not much of a breakfast but the flesh of the fruit was sweet, and juicy; it will help them get by for a while and hopefully lift their spirits somewhat. Hopefully.

As they traveled on, their mood began to grow lighter and Serah was once again able to appreciate the beauty that was around them.

Noctis adjusted his knapsack on his back and refused Serah when she offered to carry it for him. She shrugged and continued to watch their surroundings. There was not a cloud in the sky that day and the sun was neither too strong nor too near that it would bother their sight.  
The day was rather warm and Noctis could hear the sounds of little creatures scurrying about. Serah smiled at how lively everything was. Such beauty should not go unappreciated and needed to be respected. This was something people from the Cruor Mucro could never understand. And they most likely never will.

* * *

"Do you think they will be welcoming of strangers?" Serah asked when she and Noctis sighed a simple town just beyond the path they were taking.

Noctis nodded. "Look at how simply they are living. And with the way their town is built I can tell easily that many travelers must have passed by here for some place to rest themselves. Serah understood. "It would be nice to gather more supplies, I suppose. And perhaps ask around…?" Noctis did not protest. "Of course."  
They headed there towards the town. The people were as friendly as the ones in the settlement Noctis had visited days ago before he was summoned by his father to Bodhum. Serah seemed glad they would be causing trouble to anyone of these people, and they seemed willing to assist in any way.

"Your sister? No, I have no seen anyone with such vibrant hair as yours around here." A woman who they had stopped for a moment to ask questions said to them when they questioned her about Lightning. Serah sighed in disappointment. The woman smiled reassuringly. "Think of it like this child; what if you both came here before she did? Then perhaps she might be on her way here!" "I hope she is." Serah admitted with a small hopeful smile.

Noctis leaned against side of the structure behind him as Serah continued to question the woman. They may or may not be close to actually meeting with Lightning, but Serah kept her hopes up. The prince could only hope it was not all for naught.

Serah and Noctis retreated to a tavern to fill their empty stomachs. Serah stared at the wooden table they sat at and Noctis knew she was growing increasingly worried. Now that they have started asking around, everything all depended on whether or not Lightning passed by here since this town was the only one in the area for miles. He and Serah were already so far away from Bodhum as it is, and to go even farther…well who knew?  
Hurried footsteps sounded in the already-bustling tavern. However, the voice of the tavern master reached Serah's ears and she could not help but overhear since there was no other way for her to settle her nerves at the moment.

"Ah, back again I see. How is your guest?"

"Much better. I have never seen one person bear so much injury, and _live_."

"Sounds very durable, that one."

"Yes, very much.

"I assume you want to bring something to take back to your recovering guest?"

"Thank you. And our guest is not recovering—the wounds have fully healed already."

"Well I'll be! Within just several days? Impressive!"

Serah tensed and glanced over her shoulder to the counter where she spotted a rather handsome, muscular man with tanned-skin and black hair chatting with the tavern master. The clothing he wore told Serah he lived in a village and not this town. A hunter perhaps? Knowing Fang gave Serah a good example on what a hunter might be like, and the weapon—a hunting spear—on his back seemed to confirm her suspicions. The tavern master handed the man a medium sack, probably filled with an assortment of food.

"Here you are my friend. Take care of yourself and send my regards to your guest!"

"I most certainly will…"

"I also want to wish you luck. I know what has been on your mind lately since that stranger arrived at your village."

"Ah! Nonsense! I must be on my way now!"

"Farewell!"

Serah turned quickly but the hunter was gone already. She tapped Noctis' arm. "Noctis! Did you hear them?" The prince shrugged. "Yes, they were rather loud." "That man said he had a stranger recovering from injuries in his village! It might be my sister!" The prince scoffed. "It could be anyone, Serah. People are injured nearly everyday."

The young Farron shook her head and stood from the table, making her way to the counter to speak with the tavern master. Noctis groaned and stood up to follow her.

"Excuse me sir. That man who just left—who was he?" Serah asked, trying to control her eagerness. The man chuckled, "That was Nara. Good fellow, really. He's a hunter who lives in this village nearby; they trade with us sometimes and we get on well."  
Noctis leaned against the counter silently. Serah felt her heart race as she prepared herself to ask her next question. "I overheard he had a guest in his village who was recovering from injuries. Do you have any idea who it could be?" "Eh? Why the sudden interest, little miss?" The man asked, puzzled by the young woman's questions. Serah calmed herself. "I am looking for my sister; she went missing many days ago. My friend and I have been looking for her ever since."

"And ya think this guest of Nara's might be your sister?"

"I am _hoping_ it is, sir."

The tavern master took a long careful look at Serah. His eyes widened. "Well I'll be! You do look a lot like 'er! So she's your sister?" Serah's heart was sure to burst out of her chest that moment. "You mean…it really is her? Did you see what she really looked like?" "Aye!" The man confirmed with a nod. Serah just needed to be sure, "Was she wearing silver armor decorated with feathers?" Once again the tavern master nodded. "Yes! That much I know; I went to visit my friend Nara when I saw him bring in a woman; barely alive and all bloody. She was wearing this armor, so I assumed she was a knight, and she looked just like you do. I did not think she would make it when I looked at her injuries!"

Serah sighed in relief. "Oh thank you sir! I knew my sister was alive!" Noctis smiled inwardly; Serah looked so happy now that her fears were lifted from her shoulders. Lightning Farron was alive.

"By the way, little miss… Is your sister a knight of one of the Alliance kingdoms? That armor of hers looked very…special." The man said. Serah only smiled. "Yes, she is a knight. And a very good one at that." The tavern master grinned. "Oh? For which kingdom?" Serah moved away from the counter and headed out of the tavern with Noctis behind her. She looked over her shoulder at the tavern master. "From Bodhum." After that, the two travelers were gone.

Serah breathed in the fresh air with happiness swelling in her chest. If this village traded with this town then that meant everybody was know about them.

She returned to the woman she had questioned before and this time she was happy she had an answer. "The village? Why it's not too far from here! Just keep following that road with wagon tracks; you should be able to find it. I take it your sister is alive then?" "Yes, very much!" Serah could not hide her happiness.  
As she and Noctis departed, Serah knew she was only a step closer to seeing her sister at last after these long days of travel. Noctis was feeling rather skeptical about his situation; he was meeting Queen Farron again. His mind was reeling with images of her face and it was difficult to shake them off. He hid his anxiety from Serah as they followed the tracks that spawned from the wagons' wheels.

* * *

"I hope she truly as recovered just as this Nara had said." Noctis looked at Serah when she spoke and noted with amusement, the dreamy expression on her face. "No doubt the moment we see her you will tackle her regardless if she did fully recover or not." He said. Serah's face burned with a blush. "I…of course not! I will be most careful, of course!"

They were walking along the road just as instructed. As they went on, Serah caught a glimpse of a familiar form. Her eyes widened; it was the hunter—Nara—from before.

Noctis noticed as well and ran along with Serah when she rushed towards him. The hunter had not noticed their presence and mounted his chocobo. He kicked the large bird's sides and it dashed off. Serah pouted when she and Noctis were left in the dust. "Oh well. At least we know for certain we are on the correct path."  
The prince chuckled at her expression before nodding. "Indeed." They continued to follow the path once more. With each step they took Serah could feel Lightning's warmth already. She tried to control herself, knowing her sister would be embarrassed if she were to be tackled the moment their eyes meet.

Noctis sighed heavily and trudged along behind Serah.

They stopped walking when the sound of laughter and the baaing of sheep caught their attention. They had arrived. The village was rather decent. The people were obviously not poor but rather well off even though they were not as rich as the town was.  
Children ran along, playing and laughing as they did. The adults worked and assisted one another. This was it; Lightning was here somewhere.

One of the women noticed them. "Oh. Are you two lost?"

Serah approached her and smiled politely. "Sorry for intruding. We are looking for my sister." The woman raised an eyebrow. "You sister?" After a moment she was taken aback. "You look just like that stranger we took in many days ago! Are you truly…?"  
The young Farron nodded. "Yes! Yes I am! Can you take me to her? Please." The woman looked around. "Well, certainly. That is…if I can find her…"

Loud yells brought everyone's attention to the entrance of the village. Serah and Noctis stepped back when several men on their chocobos dashed over. "Behemoth! It's coming for our village!"

The children were herded into their homes while the men grabbed their weapons. Noctis sighed. "I feel ready for a fight. Do you, Serah?" She looked up at him in disbelief. "Think of it," Noctis said, "if we help them rid of this monster, they would have to thank us by properly taking us to your sister." Serah sighed in defeat. "Yes, I suppose."  
Noctis turned to the riders. "Hunters! Allow us to come with you." At his request, the riders looked down at them. "Sorry but only hunters may participate in this. Besides it is the problem of our village." Noctis shrugged. "Perhaps you are right. But the way you sounded, it seems that this behemoth is causing much trouble for you." The rider nodded. "Ah, it is not just any behemoth. It is known as Kaiser Behemoth; this beast has been causing trouble for us for months now by stealing our prey or ambushing some of our men." "Then if that is the case, wouldn't more assistance be needed? We offered, so why not allow us?" Noctis reasoned.

The riders exchanged looks before they nodded at the one who had spoken to Noctis. He groaned. "Very well. You may help us."

Serah nodded. "We will do our best!" Noctis followed the hunters as they took off. Serah followed, keeping up well enough. "I hope this would not be too difficult." Serah said to herself as she readied her bow. Noctis summoned his sword and held onto it as he ran beside her. "Just keep your sister's training in your might and you may survive." Serah nodded and focused on the task.

The moment they saw the creature, she nearly fainted. The Kaiser Behemoth was large and its skin was black in color. It was already on its two back legs, meaning the hunters must have already injured it enough to make it use its last resort which is for it to stand on two legs and grab the weapon it has sheathed at the back of its head.

Serah lifted her bow and shot an arrow at its legs, making it stumble.

The hunters charged at it but it smacked them away it its free arm. Noctis leapt and dug his blade into the monster's chest. Its thick hide ached in pain and the behemoth attempted to swipe Noctis away. In a flash, Noctis was gone then reappeared beside Serah. Another trademark of the Caelums; teleporting. However now was not the time to marvel.

Serah drew out three arrows at once and aimed. She pulled her arm back then released the projectiles. It struck the beast in every part of its torso.  
Angered and irritated, the Kaiser Behemoth began swinging its weapon about, scattering the hunting party. The lead hunter yelled commands and the others followed his lead. Noctis rushed in once more and swiped at its already pained leg. It slapped the prince away, making him tumble back. Serah watched in horror then drew out her last three arrows; she would have to use her sword after this shot.

Noctis recovered and ran for the monster again. Sensing him, Serah kept her arm steady and her arrows aimed on its target. Noctis jumped and stabbed his sword into the behemoth's neck. He moved away and Serah finally let the arrows fly, striking the behemoth's throat.

Noctis grabbed his sword back.

Despite the effort, the monster kept rampaging. The hunters looked up at it in dismay, and as it lifted its weapon to unleash its most lethal attack, a swift _ping_ was heard. The behemoth stopped moving. The hunters stared and Noctis and Serah froze.  
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly, the Kaiser Behemoth fell to its knees and its weapon fell from its grip as the beast collapsed on the ground, completely lifeless. Surprised, the hunting party looked up then cheered when the saw who the victory was.

Serah's heart skipped a beat when she saw that familiar face, and that frown. _"Lightning."_

* * *

**That's all for this chapter.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed, it was really fun as always. I know I seem to be uploading really quickly. But it is because I happen to be in a writing mood, so I could not help myself. I had to write more. The urge was getting to me.**

**Let me explain Lightning's attitude in Serah's dream/memory; Lightning was more like how she was in Final Fantasy XIII when she was at the age of eighteen, being easily angered at times and rather grumpy, and a workaholic. However when she grew into her twenties up until her current age of twenty-one, Lightning grew into her Final Fantasy XIII-2 personality, which is more calm and solemn, but still intimidating when angered, and still works too hard.**

**The village of hunters Serah and Noctis headed to is not where they will end up meeting Noel; I am sure some of you assumed he would be there. However he will not. Not to worry, nearly every character will be in the story but they will appear one by one soon, not now.**

**Serah said Lightning was a knight not only because she saw her sister as such, but also to not reveal their identity as monarchs.**

**Kaiser Behemoth is a Mark that is to be hunted down in the Cie'th Stone Mission 09. Noctis and Serah volunteering to assist the hunters in taking it down is a reference to how Final Fantasy games have side quests which sometimes entails helping non-playable characters in killing a monster and such. A notable example would be Final Fantasy XII where you hunt Marks on the petitioner's behalf.**

**Now I had a certain request regarding Wolf Noctis. I think you know who you are. Regarding that little request, it is safe to say that I can do better than that. How so? Wait and see! Hopefully you and the others may like it.**

**Any confusions or questions, ask me and I will do my best to answer them if they do not spoil anything in the story. Also if there are any errors, I will be fixing them. So next time you go back to read the story again you might see the mistakes have been fixed.**

**Hope you had fun reading as usual, because I really am liking how things are coming together and writing is always so fun for me! Hopefully soon I will become even better in writing the more I write and practice! See you guys again in the next chapter I make!**

**Until then…**


	16. Chapter XVI: Tergiversatio

**Disclaimer: ****Merry Christmas everyone! What can I say? I still feel like writing. I think it might be because it's the holidays so there is nothing else to do and other than that I already had Sanctuaire all planned out by the time it became a full story of its own. It is hard to resist the urge to write a bit more, and ironically the urge is overwriting my laziness with "itchy fingers"—the unstoppable urge for me to write some more.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XVI: Tergiversatio**

Everything seemed to happen within a second. The second Lightning dismissed her blade; she felt a sudden force crashing into her chest. She grunted and stepped back to avoid toppling over her own feet. She looked down at the force that shoved itself against her and her eyes widened.

"Serah?"

"Lightning! Sister…I am so happy you are alive!"

The young queen immediately forgot that they were surrounded by the hunters who had taken her in, and even about the corpse of the Kaiser Behemoth that laid in front of them. She held onto her young sister, stroking her hair and back soothingly. "Why are you in a place like this?" Lightning whispered gently against Serah's hair. The younger Farron buried her head into her sister's chest. "I came for you. I heard of what happened…in the battle. They said you might not have survived; but I knew they were wrong! You are just too stubborn to die!" Lightning smirked in amusement. "Is that so?"

Noctis watched the two women in silence. He dared not approach and he refused to even make contact with Queen Farron if he could avoid it.

Serah finally pulled away to inspect Lightning. Her sister was dressed in a white tunic and black breeches; it was obvious that she must have protested against wearing female tunics more or less. She looked at Lightning's arm and could see a faint but healed scar. It made Serah wonder just many more scars her sister had on her body now.

The hunters were returning to the village now and Lightning began escorting her sister back as well. She stopped for a moment when her eyes met Noctis'.  
The prince glared at her. Serah sensed the tension and attempted to make peace. "Lightning, Prince Noctis had volunteered to accompany me on this journey. I would have been able to find you without his help." Noctis snorted. Lightning stared at him. "Is that right?" She moved closer to him then stretched her hand out to him. "Thank you. For looking after Serah."

Noctis scoffed at her then glanced at Serah. She looked rather nervous about this encounter. Noctis groaned irritably; damn Serah for reminding him of an angelic child when she did not mean to. Reluctantly, he took hold of Lightning's hand, accepting the handshake.

Serah sighed in relief. Lightning nodded then escorted them both back to the village. Noctis remained silent and Serah all but clung to her sister, thankful that she was right about how strong Lightning was. It would be unlike Lightning if she did fall so easily, especially with how skillful she was. Of course, despite all that Lightning was still human after all, and a woman at that.

The moment the party of three returned to the village, someone called out to Lightning, catching her attention. "There you are! I have been searching for you."

Serah recognized him. He was the man who had been in the tavern. Nara she believed his name was. Up close Serah could see he was definitely a tall and attractive male. His powerful-looking physique was nothing short of impressive. Being a hunter, Serah knew he would definitely develop strong muscles that were fit for him to hunt and take down prey.

Lightning raised an eyebrow at Nara. "What is it?"

The hunter grinned and handed her the sack he had received from the tavern before saying, "I heard of what you did to that behemoth. That beast will no longer be a nuisance to us." "I see…" Lightning handed Serah the sack, knowing it would be filled with something to eat, as usual.  
The younger Farron looked surprised when she was given the sack but said nothing. Noctis stared at the hunter blankly; so this was the man who had most likely found Queen Farron. There was one way to know if he did. "So you are the one we heard in the tavern." Noctis' tone was blunt.

Nara looked surprised and the prince explained, "Serah and I heard you speak of a guest. It just so happens that we were looking for her." He gestured at the young queen.

Nara seemed surprised yet pleased in a way. "Ah. So the both of you know Lightning then?" _Lightning_? How could this man say her name so casually? Noctis scoffed and stared at his boots. Serah spoke instead. "Yes, she is my sister. You were the one who found her?" Nara nodded. The young Farron smiled. "Thank you for looking after her."  
The queen scowled. "I recovered on my own, Serah. Nara thinks I constantly need to be fed." The hunter laughed as if he knew what sort of dry humor Lightning had. "Of course! If you did not eat then you would not be standing at this very moment."

Noctis growled; how disgusting! This Nara acted like he knew Queen Farron so well!

Serah found Nara rather pleasant as he brought them around to look at the village, explaining how he'd found Lightning washed on the shores of a nearby river. She had been terribly wounded and her armor had cracks and dirt. Nobody had thought she would survive but were caught off guard when she did. Lightning had recovered faster than any of the healers in the village had expected, and Nara had taken it upon himself to care for her during her recovery despite the queen's aloof behavior.

Lightning's face was blank, her arms were crossed. Nearly everyone in the village made such a fuss over her recovery when it was only natural or her body to do so.

Nara let the three to where Lightning had been taking up residence during her stay. It was a rather decent hut with good enough space, and already it was obvious that Serah would want to remain with her sister. When Nara offered somewhere for Noctis to stay, the prince frowned and simply said he can stay by the hut the sisters would be resting in.  
Politely, the hunter smiled and nodded at him. He excused himself from the women's presence before taking off.

Noctis watched as Nara paused to glance at Lightning for a brief second before he scurried off to his duties in the village. Noctis reacted as if he had been forced to sniff the carcass of a repugnant animal. He walked into the hut and remained in the corner while the sisters spoke with each other.

"Your training has taught me well, Lightning. I admit that while Noctis has been most helpful and did most of everything, I was able to put some of my training to the test." Serah said, smiling at her older sister. Lightning sighed and rubbed her temples. "You could have gotten yourself into danger, Serah. Why did you just decide to leave on your own with merely Prince Caelum as assistance?" "It is because everyone believed you may have met your demise." Serah said in a low voice, then hastily added, "Not to worry though! The people were not told that you may have been destroyed, only that you are missing." Lightning groaned. "Terrific…"

Noctis could now clearly see the difference and similarities between the two sisters the more he watched.

"Tell me Sister; what happened to your armor?" Serah wondered, seeing that Lightning was wearing a tunic from the village after all. The queen shrugged. "It is being repaired from the damages. It should be fixed soon, and once it is, we will return to Bodhum."  
Serah smiled and leaned her head against her sister's shoulder. "Tell me, has Nara and the other hunters been treating you well?" "I suppose. However Nara seems to take his duty rather over the top I suppose. I did not even ask for him to watch over me. He merely placed it upon himself, even after seeing that I clearly no longer have pain in my body."

Noctis huffed loudly. "He is most likely eccentric, over enthusiastic. I find that rather naïve of him if he believes everything in the world is worth smiling over."

The Farrons looked at him for a long moment before Lightning nodded. "Yes, in a way he does seem like that. I suppose it is his persona. Come, I will get you both something to eat." Serah and Noctis followed Lightning out of a hut to where a woman was seen standing over a large hot pot. She busied herself with throwing ingredients before sniffing at the delightful smoke that rose from her cooking.

She noticed the three and smiled. "Why if it isn't our fortunate guests. You have brought along friends as well it seems." "My sister." Lightning nodded at Serah, then gestured at Noctis. "This is her travel companion."

"A pleasure to meet your acquaintances!" The woman greeted before stirring the ingredients around in the pot. "If you are here to eat, I will have to ask you to wait a while longer though the food is nearly cooked. In the meantime, make yourselves at home here and enjoy our village."  
Lightning nodded then turned to her companions. "Serah, go on and explore if you wish. Just stay within the village. You," She turned to Noctis, "do as you wish."  
Noctis frowned at her but nodded. When she walked off, the prince had to ask. "Where are _you_ heading off to then?" "I need some time to myself for a moment." Was all the queen said before leaving.

The woman chuckled, drawing Noctis' attention to her. "That stranger…such an odd one; she refused the women's tunics and spent time with a sword despite knowing how to cook and clean herself. Her face is also unique; she is definitely a woman, and a strong one at that, yet she also draws other women to her like a man of status could. Both men and women alike that is. The women in this village felt like swooning whenever the stranger walks by."

Noctis' frowned deepened, however this time he was not sure why.

Serah had attracted the attention of the village children and was now occupied with them. Noctis sighed before going off to explore the village on his own. It was indeed a village belonging to hunters. Their smaller prey were being hung around the village and to be taken in if needed to be eaten. The people wore hides and fur of animals, and their affinity with friendly creatures such as chocobos were obvious. This was definitely not the place to use his wolf form.

The prince felt boredom creep into his senses. Against his better judgment, he wondered where the queen had run off to on her own. Perhaps she could provide him with entertainment with a sparring session. It was better than nothing, and he had energy to burn still.

He walked in the direction he remembered Lightning take. As he followed the path, it seems to lead into a green part of a forest that the village was practically a part of. He lifted his head and sniffed the air; he caught the scent of the queen immediately. The smell of peaches and roses that clung to her drifted into his senses the closer he got to wherever she was.  
The bushes and other vegetation were growing thicker, and it made Noctis wonder even more what the queen could possibly do in such an area as this; lovely and green, yes, and isolated with thick coverings of the brush.

When Lightning's scent was at its strongest, Noctis knew he had located her. He sighed in relief and prepared the approach her, but the moment he pulled the thick green leaves back, he froze entirely then swiftly pulled his hand away.

Lightning sat underneath a small waterfall, in a deep clear lake. Stones lined around the lake, making it look like a hot spring tub. No doubt this is where the villagers come to bathe, and apparently, Lightning Farron as well. Noctis felt blood rush throughout his veins even though all he could see was the queen's bare shoulders while the rest of her body was submerges in the water.  
The prince of Nifleheim shook his head, desperate to take away the images of another woman's body out of his mind when he swore to himself that only one woman's body would be on his mind.

Yet the innocently tempting sight of this virgin queen was affecting him so. And he despised it.

Noctis stepped back and turned away but something caught his eye. He narrowed his eyes to catch a better glimpse. He tensed upon realizing that Nara was on the other side of the brush, watching the queen as she sat there in the lake. Noctis could clearly see the hunter's expression; his eyes looked distant and the look upon his face were like that of a daydreaming maiden.  
Noctis growled and his blood boiled at the sight; at least he now knew that he was more honorable of a man than this Nara. What man dared intentionally seek a woman just to watch her bathe? And that irritating expression he had! Noctis wanted nothing more than to rip the hunter's eyes out.

He may hate Queen Farron, but Noctis knew it was still wrong to simply watch a woman bathe like a lecher. Even during his days as a boy of sixteen or seventeen, not once did Noctis intrude upon a woman's bath and watch. It was beneath him; true he had brought women into his bed when he was younger but he never intruded on them like this.

Even Queen Lightning did not deserve this. Before he could stop himself, Noctis slinked over to where Nara watched and daydreamed. As Noctis came up from behind the hunter, he did not notice how his eyes of sapphire turned crimson.

Without a second thought, he grabbed Nara and turned him around. "What do you think you are _doing_?" Noctis growled.

Nara's eyes widened and a blush stained his cheeks. Noctis tightened his grip. "I asked you a question. What are you doing?" When Nara merely looked away, Noctis tossed him to the ground roughly and glared at him in an intimidating manner.  
"I asked you what you were doing. Answer me!" Noctis repeated once more. The hunter looked up at him and frowned as he got to his feet. "I don't think it is any of your concern." The prince's red eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Then what were you looking at just now if it is none of my concern?"

Nara gasped but continued his silence.

Noctis shoved the hunter back roughly. Nara retaliated and shoved back. Soon their fists came into play. Noctis was faster than the hunter was and dodged each punch and then countered with his own. He struck Nara's face and the little brawl continued until both men crashed into each other and exchanged blows on the dirt ground.  
It was not long until they interrupted by a familiar silver blade stabbing itself into the ground, right above their heads. The men looked up to see Lightning standing there, dressed in her tunic with her hair still damp from bathing.

Nara got up first and looked a little ashamed. Noctis scowled as he stood and dusted himself off.

"I am sorry Lightning, we had a misunderstanding." Nara said, blushing with embarrassment. Lightning raised an eyebrow then glanced at Noctis; he did not look at all pleased at Nara. The young queen grabbed her sword back. "Care to explain then?" She said but neither of the men made a notion to say anything. "Very well then…" Lightning walked back towards the village with her sword in hand. She paused for a moment. "Nara." The hunter looked at her.  
Lightning looked at him over her shoulder. "You should know that it is inappropriate to watch women bathing. Be thankful that I know not much has been seen."

Nara lowered his gaze. "Then what of your sister's travel companion? What would his reason for being in the same area as me be?" Nara defended. Noctis straightened himself. "I came to challenge Lady Lightning to a sparring session. Nothing more." Lightning considered for a moment. "All right then. We shall spar shortly." Nara looked away, seemingly disappointed. Noctis brushed past him, staring the hunter down before following Lightning back to the village. For some reason, he felt victorious; perhaps it was because he was correct about Nara's lack of decency. That must be why. What other reason was there?

Serah had just bid farewell to the children when she noticed her sister walking back to her hut with Noctis in tow, and her sword in her hand. She hoped no conflict happened between them; that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

She entered the hut and found Noctis keeping his distance while Lightning dried her hair with a clean towel. Lightning turned to her. "There is a bathing area if you wish to clean yourself." "Is that where you have been?" Serah asked, noticing her sister's damp hair.  
Lightning nodded and placed the towel aside. "I will escort you there." She glanced at Noctis. "You may come along; we will begin our sparring once Serah is bathing."

The younger Farron looked at her sister then Noctis. Sensing her sister's tension, the queen touched Serah's shoulder. "He requested for a spar, nothing to worry yourself over." Noctis nodded in agreement and Serah relaxed slightly.

They exited the hut and Lightning led Serah to the lake she had bathed in before. Noctis could only hope Nara had left the area now. He did not feel as cautious so it was likely a good sign that the hunter had left the bathing area, his scent was nowhere in the anymore when Noctis lifted his head to sniff the air. Lightning led Serah to the spot and the younger woman smiled. "It has been a while since I have cleaned myself…" Lightning nodded and stood in front of Serah.  
Noctis understood and turned his back to them. Lightning remained in place, blocking her sister from view while she undressed and stepped into the lake. Noctis glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Serah was submerged in the cooling waters up to her shoulders.

Lightning stood guard for a while. Noctis found it quite understandable considering that she had been watched by Nara not too long ago.

Serah looked up at her sister's back. "I will be fine, Lightning. Go on and spar if you wish." That was all Lightning needed to hear. She lifted her sword, which she had not bothered to dismiss just yet. Noctis summoned his own blade in response. "Stay here Serah, and call for me once you are done with yourself. We will be nearby." Lightning said before walking off. Noctis followed her, his grip tight on his sword.

The two of them disappeared behind the brushes but still near enough to hear Serah should she call for them.

Lightning poised her sword as she took to her battle stance. Noctis followed suit and kept his eyes trained on the young queen. They stared each other down, keeping caution. However, Noctis was growing impatient. He griped his sword tighter and braced for a second before suddenly charging at Lightning. The young monarch stepped aside, avoiding the attack with ease. Noctis followed her and swung his sword at her, but despite his expert swings, Lightning managed to dodge all blows, not even once lifting her sword. She stared at him. "Do not force it. You are forcing your blows." The prince followed each step Lightning took but she kept avoiding contact. "Do not rely on anger or emotion when swinging your sword; it will lead to easy defeat."

Noctis grit his teeth and charged aggressively at her. Lightning lifted her sword and it touched Noctis'. The moment their blades clashed, the Caelum's sword slipped out of his hand and flew into the air then landed into the ground a few feet behind him.

Lightning looked at him with an unreadable expression. Noctis' teeth sharpened but he held back the urge to use the wolf. Instead he turned on his heels and grabbed his sword then charged at Lightning again. The queen narrowed her eyes, sensing irritation in him. It seems this sparring session has become more than that; Prince Noctis was intending to strike her with his blade intentionally.  
She jumped back and blocked his hit then kicked his abdomen, sending him sliding backwards.

Noctis leapt up and pointed his sword at her as he landed.

The queen moved out of the way just as the Caelum's larger sword dug into the earth. He was definitely out for a drop of her blood. Why so? Lightning cannot even guess. His anger and irritation was making his movements rather sloppy and careless and easy for her to dodge. She merely humored him, allowing the prince to burn his frustration away until he finally went on his knees, panting tiredly.

Lightning approached him once he was down. "Had enough Prince?" Noctis looked up at her with a glare of his red eyes before they returned to their original blue.

He dismissed his sword and stood up with a indignant huff. Lightning sighed and dismissed her own weapon. As she did so, she heard Serah's voice calling for her. She excused herself and walked back to where Serah was just about ready to step out of the lake.  
Lightning's expression gave away no indication of what had occurred mere moments ago during the spar-turned-attempted-murder. No reason to worry Serah with trivial matters. Noctis remained where he was until he heard Serah get out of the lake and dress herself. Once she was finished, he approached the sisters, looking rather put off.

Serah looked at Lightning but her sister's face was a complete blank.

When they returned to the hut, Nara was there. He seemed to be waiting for them. Noctis growled and lagged behind. Lightning barely glanced at the hunter as she brought Serah inside. "Hello Nara." Serah greeted. He bowed his head in greeting.  
"Lightning, may I speak with you while we take a walk?" He asked as soon as Serah entered the hut. Noctis tensed and looked at them. Lightning did not seem bothered and merely shrugged. "I suppose." How could she easily allow this lecher to simply walk up to her and request for a walk?

Nara's smile brightened, making his handsome face glow. It disgusted Noctis.

To make matters worse, Nara was missing his tunic and was now bare-chested. The sweat falling from his tanned skin told Noctis just why he was parading around the way he was. He must have gone off hunting or training. The prince's disgust increased by a tenfold.

Lightning followed Nara silently as he led her off. Noctis shook his head and sat by the door of the hut. He stared at the sky, hoping to distract himself from his irritation. Why was he irritated? His only reason was because Nara had watched Queen Lightning bathe yet she did not mind when he asked to speak with her, on a walk no less.  
The prince ran his fingers through his hair in irritation and vaguely felt how grimy his hair was. He stood up and trudged to where the lake was to take his turn at bathing.

He reached the lake and turned into the wolf; hopefully no one from the village will see him. The wolf stepped into the water and sighed in relief when his fur began to feel clean. He swam about and dived into the water then came up for air.

He climbed out of the lake and shook his fur off, sending the droplets off onto the leaves around him. The wolf became a man again as he returned to the village. He took a look into the hut and found Serah asleep; it seems she had decided to rest now that her sister was found. And that seemed to give her peace.  
Noctis returned outside and sat down by the entrance again. He allowed the midday sun to dry his hair and warm his body from swimming in the cold lake. He glanced towards the direction in which Lightning left with Nara. He frowned and looked away. His father's face came into Noctis' mind. He groaned; he joined Serah to make sure she reunited with Lightning, and to bring Lightning back to Bodhum. If he allowed the queen to just simply frolic on her own like this, he would never hear the end of it.

Noctis grunted and stood up, dusting off his tunic before he rushed after Lightning. This woman was going to be the death of him.

* * *

"Lovely isn't it?" Nara said as he watched the green fields that seemed to go miles away into the beyond.

Lightning leaned against a nearby tree, her arms crossed. "You wanted to speak to me about something?" The hunter turned to her, surprised then fidgeted. "My apologies. I easily get distracted by the world's beauty." He glanced at Lightning but she did not seem moved.  
Nara cleared his throat. "I have been meaning to ask… Where is it you came from? You seemed so out of place when you came here wearing that armor when I found you by the shores." Lightning looked up at the sky as if contemplating if she should tell him or not. She sighed, "I came from Bodhum."

"And you are a knight there?"

"… In a way."

"What happened to you? I have been meaning to ask but I knew you might not want to speak of it when you were injured."

"I was merely defeated. However my opponents underestimated me it seems."

"That reminds me; your armor is repaired. You may see the blacksmith whenever you wish."

"Good. The sooner I return to Bodhum, the better."

"… You plan to leave?"

"Of course."

"You seem eager to leave."

"You would be as well if your home was nearly destroyed."

Nara scratched the back of his neck. "Have we…not treated you well enough?" Lightning raised an eyebrow at him. "No. I return because I must, and because I want to." She moved away from the tree and placed a hand over her untamed bangs. "Once my sister is well-rested, I shall pick up my armor and head home. Bodhum cannot be safe yet." The hunter lowered his gaze before bringing it back up to look at the sun.

The rays of the sun shone upon his bare chest, illuminating him beautifully. His body was well-trained for hunting and working hard errands.

When Nara looked at Lightning, his breath was caught in his throat. She seemed to glow like a goddess; the light of the sun made her look like an ethereal being of beauty. It was strange, he had only known her for several long days since he found her wounded, but the enigmatic feeling that surrounded her drew him in. Ever since then he had developed a certain desire to talk with her as much as possible. Though it was nearly impossible to do so when she kept wandering off alone.

Nara sighed and tried to calm himself from the shakiness he felt in his knees. He needed to say something to her, and he needed to say it so desperately. But whenever he attempted to do so she would obliviously walk by, busying herself with something else. She was strange…so different. "Beautiful…" He whispered under his breath.

Lightning glanced at him. "Did you say something?" Nara shook his head almost frantically. "No! Not at all!" Oh how he sometimes wished she heard the words he whispered.

Noctis stood at a distance. Lady Lightning was oblivious, but he was not; the prince could clearly see every move and body language Nara was showing. The lecher was definitely aiming for the queen. Again, Noctis felt his chest swell with disgust and it was beginning to sicken him to the core of his being. He needed to bring the young queen back to Bodhum otherwise his father would never leave him be.

He approached Lightning just as Nara turned to her, his mouth open and ready to confess something. The hunter froze upon seeing Noctis. Lightning glanced at the prince. "What?" "Serah is asleep, but isn't it time she ate something as well? I believe we are expected to dine." Noctis said, his eyes glancing at Nara.

The hunter was disappointed at the interruption but did his best to hide it. His pectoral muscles all but glowed underneath the sun. Noctis scoffed and barely heard Lightning agree with him and walked off to return to Serah. Nara stood staring at Noctis for a long moment, a frown forming on his lips. Noctis glared at the hunter before turning away to follow Lightning back to her hut.

As they walked, Noctis unconsciously touched his chest, feeling at his pectoral muscles for a minute before stopping shaking his head at himself; women were the ones who should be concerned about their bosoms, not men!

Lightning glanced at him. "What in the world are you doing?" Noctis waved her off. "Nothing! I thought I felt an ache." The queen sighed and entered the hut. She gently shook Serah awake, reminding her of lunch. The younger sister yawned as she sat up and, still in a drowsy haze, followed Lightning outside once more. Noctis wanted to find an isolated area and lie down to rest, but his stomach was calling out for him to fill it with a decent meal.

The woman who had been cooking with her pot happily announced that the food was now ready.

The rest of the villagers began gathering around for their meals. Lightning, Serah and Noctis received their meals first and moved back to Lightning's hut where they sat at the entrance, eating in silence. Noctis made sure to place distance between him and Queen Farron, however Serah noticed but said not a word. She knew of Prince Noctis' sad tale of heartbreak, but that did not mean he must take his frustrations on Lightning.

The villagers were sitting together by the fire that had cooked the meal, laughing and telling stories of sorts. Suddenly, one of them looked over at Lightning. "You are a knight, are you not? Tell us of your exploits!" The villagers cheered in encouragement. Lightning simply dug into her meal. "I must refuse. I do not enjoy speaking of my 'exploits'." Several children sighed in disappointment but the rest of the villagers chuckled. "Such a humble stranger!" "Indeed."  
A young boy grinned. "Then, can Nara tell us of his tales then?" Nara looked up, looking rather bashful and chuckled when his fellow hunters cheered. "Yes Nara! Why not tell us?" "Come now Nara, you must not disappoint our lady guests."

Noctis huffed and stuffed the food into his mouth, which would have been considered rather rude and lacking in etiquette; but they were not in a palace so he had no qualms in doing so.

The villagers made Nara stand up in order to tell those stories of his adventures. Serah giggled at the sight and how the children seem to look up to him so much. Nara was rather warm and gentle with the children and somewhat bashful even around his close friends. He seemed rather modest as well, being reluctant to tell them of his exploits. But he relented when the children looked up at him with their large pleading eyes.

Noctis leaned against the hut and scowled deeply when Nara looked over at Lightning hopefully. Noctis did the same and found Lightning rather occupied with her meal. Nara sighed in defeat and began telling his stories.

Serah giggled as she leaned against Lightning. "It would seem you have captured a heart, Sister." Lightning blinked obliviously. "Pardon?" Noctis then realized that Serah had indeed been telling him the truth when she had said her sister was as pure as a newborn infant; yet he felt that even if the queen had taken a lover she would still be oblivious to the affections of those around her. Strange for someone so hard and cold and powerful in battle.

_-XIII-_

"Such a pity, Nara…"

"What is?"

"I have seen the knight while you were telling us of your exploits. Not once did she seem interested."

"My, my…Nara has chosen such a difficult woman."

Nara sighed at his friends' jests. "You are all full of bullocks." "Not at all, my friend. Did you think that it escaped our notice? The way you took it upon yourself to care for that female knight when she first came along, and how you always seem to find yourself gazing upon her beauty…" One of the hunters recited. Nara flushed. "You misunderstand…" "I do not think so. But it does not matter. We are happy for you; that knight is an impressive woman." The second hunter said with an encouraging smile.

The wolf's keen sense of hearing gave Noctis the ability to hear within an impressive distance. However he did not like what they were saying. Firstly was because Lady Farron was not in the least bit charming like a lady should be, and secondly she cannot stay. Her kingdom awaited her, after all. Nara is a fool to believe he could keep her.

Noctis felt smug arrogance fill him as he realized the position that Nara's heart was in. He usual did not care for other people's misfortunes in love, but he felt that this hunter must be worth laughing over. But why?

Before his mind could wander anymore, the prince returned to the hut where he found Serah asleep once again and Lightning sitting in one corner, cleaning her blade. Noctis rested in another corner of the room. Without looking up from her sword, Lightning spoke to him. "There is a mattress for you to use." Noctis glared at her stubbornly. "I do not need it."  
The queen stood up and swings her sword around before dismissing it. "Very well then." She settled at Serah's side, keeping sentry over her for the night. Noctis grumbled in annoyance for what seemed for long minutes. In the end, he grabbed the mattress Lightning had mentioned and pulled it over to himself. He arranged it and lay down, finally satisfied with the comfortable material he was lying on. Lightning watched him silently as he had grabbed the mattress then looked at her younger sister again.

To think Serah would travel this far away from home just to find her. Lightning's heart seemed to swell with pride at how grown her sibling had become. The queen did not feel like sleeping and instead stepped outside for some fresh air. Noctis heard her leave the hut but left her be. He only wanted to sleep now after all the trouble he had gone through for these women.

Lightning rolled her shoulders and relaxed as the wind blew against her face. The evening air smelled fresh and it calmed the young queen's nerves. Bodhum's safety swarmed in her mind; she hoped that the kingdom is faring well enough.

From the shadows Nara watched her with dreamy eyes. His heart skipped the beat as the moon shone down on Lightning's form, making her hair seem silver-like. He clutched the lucky charm bracelet he made. He had made the decision to swallow his fears and face the challenge head on like a hunter must. Tomorrow, he will speak with her again.

* * *

**I figured you guys thought I'd give Lightning amnesia. Well I did not because for one it seems predictable and a little cliché. Besides, Lightning's got a hard head; I doubt it would be easy for her to get amnesia.**

**It seems that Lightning has got an admirer. Not only monarchs or men of high status find themselves drawn to Lightning. Now it seems this seemingly perfect, handsome, yet naïve hunter finds himself attracted to Lightning. If anyone of you are suspecting Nara to secretly be some kind of rapist, don't worry. He is not.**

**What will come of this though? Lightning plans to take her armor back and take off with Serah and Noctis the next day. After all, Bodhum at the moment is more important than some trivial matters of a crush.**

**One of you asked me: If Lightning got beaten down by Sephiroth and Caius due to their cheap shot, did they take the crystal from Bodhum? **

**Well, the answer is: No, they did not. The enemy did enter Bodhum but they were unable to enter the castle; and even if they did they would not easily locate crystal due to it being hidden since all monarchs of the Alliance hide their crystals to keep it safe, unlike those of the Cruor Mucro who would rather show theirs off. Now if you are wondering why Sephiroth and Caius did not take it themselves it is because as you saw in the precious chapters, Lightning as a last resort, electrocuted both of them with a powerful thundaga spell, therefore rendering them injured so they were forced to retreat.**

**Hope that answers your question!**

**Like always, if you are curious about anything or confused or want confirmation about something then ask me and I will do my best to answer; provided that they don't spoil the story.**

**Until then…**


	17. Chapter XVII: Regredior

**Disclaimer:**** Okay so I see you guys seem to either like or dislike Nara and I have to say I like both results because I created Nara for the purpose that you would be cautious about him or just like how he seems to be a sweetheart. However the fun must end sometime and unfortunately for Nara, it ends today.**

**As for the main party; Lightning, Serah, and Noctis, they have much more urgent matters to return to. Ah, this also seems to be a long chapter as well. My itchy fingers seem to be making themselves work overtime. Don't get me wrong; it's fun!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XVII: Regredior**

"This is such a lovely village, Sister. You are rather fortunate to have landed here." Serah said. Lightning grunted as she stirred the chocobo around. Serah settled comfortably on her sister's lap while Lightning directed the large bird around the fields.  
Noctis walked beside them as the wolf; it was safe since they were far enough from the hunters' village. The green scenery enchanted the three, most especially Serah and Noctis. Lightning had seen it before but this was the farthest she had gotten from the village.

Lightning sighed and looked at her sister; there was no point in delaying them in farther. "My armor has been repaired. I plan to retrieve it from the blacksmith later so we may depart for Bodhum. That is…if you are rested enough." Serah smiled. "I am well, Lightning. I am ready to leave whenever you are. And what about you, Noctis?" The sisters looked at the large black wolf that stood at equal height with the chocobo. The prince grunted. "The sooner we leave, the better it will be." Lightning nodded in agreement then guided the chocobo back towards the village.

When they neared the hunters' territory, Noctis returned to his original form and walked beside the sisters and their borrowed chocobo.

Much to Noctis' displeasure, the first to greet them was Nara. He rushed over and assisted Serah in dismounting. He reached up for Lightning next but the queen jumped down from the chocobo herself. The hunter sighed but replaced the expression with a warm smile. "The chocobo seemed happy to get out for a while. You certainly seem to understand animals."  
Lightning took the reins off and handed it to him. "It is a matter of understanding their body language." Nara nodded before asking, "Do you have a chocobo companion then?" "A horse." Lightning answered simply, patting the chocobo's beak earning a _kweh_ from the animal.

Nara seemed genuinely interested. "A horse? Those animals are so rare! How did you ever encounter one?" Noctis snorted at how chatty the hunter was today. Serah looked rather concerned; she could see that Nara has become quite taken with her sister, but they had to depart later that day. It would crush him.

Lightning did not make any indication to tell him on how she had first met her loyal steed. She instead gave him a simple answer. "We met by chance."

Nara looked as if he was soaring. "By chance…" Lightning moved off in another direction. "I will be taking back my armor now, then my sister and I will leave." Her words broke Nara's train of thought and washed him with cold heartless reality. "You…plan to leave on this day?" "I have dallied enough." Lightning said and headed for the blacksmith.  
Serah and Noctis followed close behind. The prince of Nifleheim noticed Nara's rather desperate expression. He tried to control a smirk when he realized the dangers Nara's heart was in; Queen Farron has decided to leave on this day once she gets a hold of her armor. Once she does, Nara would break, certainly. Noctis could imagine his face a few hours from now.

Serah fell in step beside her sister. "Lightning?" The queen glanced at her. "Hm?" "… Nara is…a good man isn't he?" Serah said, wondering how she was to lecture her older politician of a sister on handling a man's heart with care. "I suppose." Lightning said as they reached the blacksmith. The large man noticed them and Lightning approached him to speak of her armor.

The younger sister sighed. Noctis moved beside her. "There is no need to try and ease the inevitable pain that hunter will be feeling." "But…" Serah shook her head; she had always been a gentle soul who could not watch another soul's heart break even if it was inevitable.  
"Do not try and attempt to fix what cannot be, Serah. Your sister will head home along with us, and Nara will be left behind in this village. It is his own fault for being naïve if he thought a wonderful stranger with wounds would stay with him. It is also his fault for feeling for Queen Farron." Noctis said his voice cynical.

"Are you saying that because you despise my sister?"

"I am saying this because Nara is naïve and foolish."

"Then what about you?"

Noctis froze at Serah's words. The younger Farron's shoulders slumped and she moved closer to Lightning. The prince growled. What did she know? His pain was his own and nobody had the right to bring it into conversation! He remained back as Lightning inspected her newly-repaired and polished armor. It shone as radiantly as before and the feathers remained intact.

"So you are going home?" The blacksmith inquired as Lightning stroked the smooth metal of her chest plate. "Yes. I am afraid I have unfinished business that still need tending to." The large man stared at her silently for a moment. "Do you intend to at least bid everyone farewell? I am sure they will miss your presence seeing that you have stayed here with us for quite some time." "I am not one for farewells. I was never too good with it." Lightning slung her chest plate and feathered sash on her shoulder while Serah assisted by carrying her armored boots and gauntlets.

The blacksmith nodded in understanding. "Aye… I can relate to what you are saying. Not everyone is fond of expressing goodbyes."

The party of three returned to Lightning's hut where she dropped her armor pieces on the floor. Noctis understood and stepped outside to wait. Lightning stripped the tunic off her body and from underneath the mattress she slept on, revealed a black bodysuit, surprisingly undamaged. "I mended it myself." Lightning explained when she noted Serah's surprised expression. She wore the suit and Serah assisted with dressing her in her armor. The gauntlets and boots, and chest plate all fell into place like they always do. After buckling the chest plate in place, Serah stepped back to inspect her sister. She still looked as dashing as she always was in her armor. However there was one piece missing. Lightning looked at her left arm, devoid of its shield.

Noctis stepped inside again and took in Lightning's appearance. "It seems you lack one more piece." He commented, noticing how empty her left arm seemed. The queen grunted.

Nooctis walked over to his knapsack and opened it. When he turned around, in his hands was Lightning's shield. The sisters' eyes widened. Noctis tossed it to Lightning and she caught it in her hands with ease. "What good are you without a shield? I knew I would be saving myself the trouble if I brought it along." Noctis said. Serah stared at the Etro insignia on the piece of armor; it was shone like the rest of Lightning's armor. Did Prince Noctis clean it himself? And to think he stole the shield away only to hand it to Lightning himself.

The young queen strapped the shield in place and lifted her arm. Now, it was all complete.

"Ready yourselves. We leave as soon as possible; finish whatever business you have to tend to and let me know once you are done." Lightning said before leaving the hut. No doubt to wait for them at the entrance. Serah decided it was best that she gather more supplies for their journey. Noctis handed her his knapsack and he younger sister took off.  
The prince walked outside and sighed; once he returned the two Farrons to their kingdom, would his father finally leave him be to journey on as he pleased? He hoped so. He wanted to bring the two women home and finally leave everything behind at last. Before he could move off in another direction, he spied Nara running about looking desperate and worried. "Fool…" Noctis sighed and moved off.

Lightning remained by the village entrance, leaning against one of the wooden poles that stood on either side of the entrance.

Serah had mentioned the other night to her of Lord Giovanni watching over Bodhum in her stead. She was grateful for that, but she worries for him as well. He was still strong and powerful, but he was past his prime in this day and age. How long would he be able to reassure the citizens of Bodhum that she was indeed returning? To have the entire nation panic was the last thing she wanted.

Nara found Lightning at the entrance. No doubt she was waiting for her sister and the dark-haired man who accompanied her sister. He needed to swallow his pride and cast his fears aside if he wished to speak to her properly. Nara straightened himself and walked towards Lightning calmly. In his hand he clutched the bracelet charm.  
The closer he got to her, the more his heart began thundering in his chest. He took in a deep breath moved even closer. Lightning glanced at him, having heard his footsteps. Nara nearly froze and forgot how to breathe.

"What?" Lightning sounded rather impatient. Nara inwardly flinched at her tone but held his ground. "Did I disturb you in any way?" He asked politely. Lightning looked at the distance. "No. I was just waiting for my sister. She and her companion will meet me here once they are finished with whatever it is they need to finish here."  
Nara moved to stand beside her. He was certain she might be able to hear the drumming of his heart. All he needed to do was tell her that she was the reason it was beating so. He clutched the bracelet tighter in his hand. "There is…something I wish to tell you; it is very important to me." The queen remained silent, indicating that she was listening. Before Nara could say a word, Serah called out for her sister.

Lightning turned her way and smiled slightly when her sibling approached. Serah showed her a full quiver. "I needed to resupply my arrows. And I purchased several items for us as well; I do hope you don't mind." Lightning shook her head. "No, that is good. We will need it."  
Noctis followed behind Serah and remained at a distance from them. He cast Nara a weary, bored glance before ignoring him altogether.

Nara felt his determination rise. "Lightning, I must tell you something. Please!"

The sisters looked at him. Serah seemed rather concerned but Lightning showed none of the sort. "Well?" She raised an eyebrow at Nara patiently. Noctis resisted the urge to smirk; the hunter was treading dangerous waters now. One wrong placement of his foot, or even a slight rejection from Queen Farron could result in his tragic drowning in his own tears.  
Serah stepped back from her sister slightly to give them the space. She knew Nara would have to go through this sooner or later. Lightning stood there, staring at Nara blankly. The hunter moved closer to her and attempted to hold onto her hand.

Lightning quickly moved back. It was a reflex towards a certain action of unwanted touch.

"I…" Nara's heart felt as if it were about to burst from his chest. Several of the villagers noticed the group at the entrance and began to gather at a certain distance, knowing full well that it was best not to get close. They knew Nara's interest in the female knight, but of course they also knew a knight found their duty to be their first priority than anything.

Lightning noticed the villagers and felt her suspicions rise ever so slightly. Nara was acting rather odd; taking deep breaths and shaking a bit. The hunter took a step towards her again. His very soul felt like it was soaring over the clouds, perhaps even into Heaven itself. "I feel so odd whenever I come close to you. I admit, this is the first time I have ever felt this way and I rather like how it feels. It took me some time to understand it, but now I do."  
The young queen's eyes narrowed dangerously. Noctis glared at Nara; the fool was acting like a lovelorn Romeo who was close to losing his life for nothing. Serah tensed upon seeing her sister's eyes; she knew all too well that it meant Lightning was not enjoying what she was hearing.

Nara felt a smile creep onto his lips. "I know it may seem rather foolish, even impossible since you do some from a far off place and have status…but I do not find that all too important. What I wish to say is—" "Save your breath." Lightning interrupted him. Nara looked at her, surprised.

Lightning turned towards the exit of the village. "We are leaving now. It is best that you stop speaking before you regret it." Nara grabbed her wrist in a gentle hold but Lightning pulled her hand away. "I am in love with you! Please understand!" Nara confessed.  
Noctis snorted but earned a hit to his abdomen from Serah. Lightning glared at Nara. She walked close to him and stared into his eyes; his eyes were honest, but it was not something she could accommodate. "It is but a shadow you claim to love. Not me."

Nara shook his head. "No, I speak the truth! I…" He lifted his hand to show her the charm bracelet, something he made for her. Lightning noticed. "Don't. Save that for someone you can actually keep by your side." The hunter tried to speak but Noctis shot him down. "Enough. You have delayed us enough times. We are leaving now." Nara glared Noctis before pocketing the bracelet and pulling his fist back to strike Noctis' cheek. Serah gasped at the sudden initiative and Lightning merely glanced over her shoulder upon hearing the contact.

Noctis spat blood onto the dirty then glared at the hunter then struck him in return. Noctis was stronger in many ways as his punch sent Nara flying back a couple of feet away.

Nara stood up and rushed at the prince. Noctis grabbed his fist, stopping Nara in his tracks, and then punched him again. Unwilling to allow Noctis to stand victorious, Nara charged again. The villagers seemed to wish to intervene but the elder and healers appeared onto the scene and shook their heads, signaling for them not to try and interfere.  
Serah looked at her sister. Lightning looked like an emperor blankly watching a fight in a coliseum, but looking into her eyes Serah could see she was rather concerned in a way, and tired of all this. She touched Lightning's arm and in response, electric currents appeared on Lightning's hand.

She lifted her arm and a flash of lightning and clap of thunder answered. The lightning bolt struck in between Noctis and Nara, separating them from each other. The villagers looked at Lightning, shocked. Noctis understood and spat blood out once more before moving to where the sisters stood.

"Wait." Nara pleaded as the three made a move to step forward out of the village. Lightning sighed wearily. The hunter took out the bracelet charm. "Lightning, I only…" "Save that gift for somebody who wishes to be with you. It will do you no good handing it to me of all people." Lightning said, not wanting Nara to complete his speech.

The smitten hunter was not willing to give his lady love up so easily. "Then allow me to accompany you and your companions—" "I said no!" Lightning was growing tired of this speech that she had heard her whole life ever since she ascended to the throne.  
Nara could faintly feel his heart breaking with every word Lightning said. He tried one more time. "Very well… If…you get the chance, you are welcome to return here whenever you wish; I will be waiting for you as well."

Lightning's eyes remained at the distance, her back showed to Nara. "For your sake, I hope you will learn to stop waiting."

The queen walked forward, not bothering to look back. Serah bowed to the villagers. "Thank you all so much for your kindness! Thank you everyone." The villagers smiled and wished the three Godspeed as they went on their way. Noctis watched as Nara sunk to his knees in utter dismay; his head was bowed down low and his hands were shaking with the bracelet charm still clutched in one of them. The prince dusted off his tunic and followed the sisters.

Nara could barely feel his friends holding onto his shoulders and encouraging him to wipe the gloom from his face. How could he? He fell in love, but it seems it was unrequited. He longed for her to return now but all he could do is remain in his village and pray she may do so one day.

_-XIII-_

Serah knew what most people thought of her sister. There were those who loved her for her fairness strong sense of justice as a ruler. However there were also those who do not understand her and could easily misinterpret her intentions as something rather heartless or cold. She was grateful the villagers had seemed to understand Lightning's reason for acting the way she did.

To most people it might seem cruel and cold when she had rejected Nara's love, but one look into Lightning's eyes told Serah that her older sister did feel rather bad for rejecting him in the way she did but she did not love him. He was merely another suitor who wished to have her on his side, and she had dealt with too much of that since she had been a girl of fifteen.  
Noctis was silent and recovering from the bruise he had obtained on his cheek. He growled at the thought of that naïve fool of a hunter striking him. Lightning sighed and turned to Noctis. "Hold still." She placed a hand on his cheek, surprising him. Before Noctis could threaten her, he felt odd warmth spread into him. Lightning removed her hand and Noctis felt his cheek; it was healed. Lightning had used a cure spell on him it seems.

"Serah." The young Farron looked to her sister. "It is time I teach you something new." Lightning stopped for a moment and held her hand out to Serah. "Give me your bow."  
Puzzled, Serah handed Lightning her bow but before she could give an arrow to her as well, Lightning stopped her. "Pay close attention now, young sister," Lightning said. "What I am about to demonstrate to you is something that will be of great use to you from here on."

Lightning positioned the bow and as she did an arrow made of lightning appeared on the string. Serah's eyes widened. Lightning aimed the magic arrow at a large rock that stood at a distance. Lightning pulled her arm back and within a heartbeat, she released the arrow. It flew at great speeds towards its target. It struck the rock and in a few seconds, the large solid piece of earth exploded into smaller chunks.

Serah's eyes widened. Lightning handed the bow back to a stunned Serah. Noctis seemed just as speechless.

"This is a better technique than to simply use regular arrows. It will save you time." Lightning explained. Serah looked at her quiver. The queen shook her head. "Keep using those arrows until they are used up, then you may be free to learn this ability I just showed you."  
The younger Farron nodded in understanding and slung her quiver onto her shoulder. Noctis shook himself from the disbelief and walked beside the sisters silently.

They walked for a good long while until Serah requested they stop for a while. When they did, the younger sister began practicing the technique Lightning had shown her.

Lightning sat there, watching Serah as she tried hard to conjure an arrow in her hand. Serah was so deep in concentration that she did not notice Lightning coming up from behind her. She gasped when she felt her sister's hand touch hers. "Relax your mind, Serah. Do not force yourself to conjure the arrow." Serah did as instructed and relaxed her shoulders. "Good. Now concentrate; think of the arrow and conjure whichever element you wish."  
Noctis watched the sisters. Serah seemed to do well in following Lightning's instructions while the queen did well to make sure that Serah understood. Slowly, Lightning began to take her hand away from Serah's when a faint glow of a fire arrow materialized. Lightning took her hands away completely but Serah gasped, losing concentration and the arrow faded.

Lightning shook her head. "Do not depend on my touch Serah. Learn to focus on your own and use your own power."

Serah lowered her head in disappointment. Lightning sat down on the grass once again. "Come and eat." "But…" Serah made to protest but the queen shook her head. "It won't do you any good to train without any strength left in you. Eat something first then continue." Serah nodded eagerly and sat beside her sister.

Noctis sighed and grabbed a slice of bread and cheese from his knapsack before grudgingly handing some to the sisters as well. Serah seemed content with watching the sky and Lightning looked rather distant; the two sisters looked nearly alike were it not for how different they were with Lightning being firm, sharp and rather strong, and Serah being more gentle and sweet like a child.  
The prince glared at Lightning, not liking how she seemed to haunt his thoughts to the point that he would grow irritated over some pitiful lovelorn hunter such as Nara. It was absolutely ridiculous.

Lightning glanced at the prince and caught his eye. Noctis shook his head and looked away.

Shrugging it off, Lightning turned her attention to Serah. She seemed rather determined to try the new technique again. The queen chuckled and stood up. "We will begin when you are ready." Serah looked up at her sister and got to her feet right away with her bow gripped in her hand.  
Moving off to a decent distance, Lightning remained behind Serah and instructed her like before. "Focus. Concentrate on the element and the image of an arrow."

Serah swallowed nervously, Lightning noticed. "Do not worry if you do not manage to master it the first time."

For several minutes Serah tried but only managed to create a faint image of the arrow. Her fire spell or any element she used faded the second she opened her eyes. Lightning stood by, letting Serah have her space to practice.  
Noctis knew how difficult it was to master the technique of creating a magic projectile. But to think Queen Farron had managed to learn it so easily… He sighed and lay back on the grass. Lightning glanced at him before turning her attention to Serah's progress.

After another long minute, Lightning placed a hand on Serah's. "That's enough for now. You can try another time." Serah nodded and went back to where Noctis was staring at the clouds above. She sighed and placed her bow down beside her quiver.  
Lightning stood watch over them and surveyed the area silently. They were at least three miles away from the hunters' village and the town that was nearby. Lightning's mind recalled the moment of Nara's unexpected confession; of course he was not the first man to confess feelings for the queen, however he was the most honest of them so far. But whether they were honest or not, it did not matter. Such trivial thoughts of romance were not in Lightning's nature. However, time will heal and Nara may very well soon find his true match, and in Lightning's opinion it was for the best. After all, she never once did see Nara as a man but rather as a good citizen who had assisted her with healing. Indeed she was grateful to him and his people but what Nara had wished from her was not something she could give in return.

Perhaps she was heartless as some say. There were times when she was not sure anymore. Lightning glanced at her companions and narrowed her eyes when she noticed the prince was tossing and turning. A nightmare?

Noctis' dreams were filled with memories. Memories of what had been before, memories of the happier days with _her_. If only she were here now. There were moments of passion and loving nights, but they had apparently been nothing but charades. To Noctis they were never charades; to him they were all true. He could not sleep properly because his dreams and memories were keeping him awake. Lightning got down on one knee and knelt before the prince. He looked rather restless and not in the least bit at peace. Before she realized what she was doing, she reached out a hand and was an inch away to touching his face.

Noctis' eyes snapped open and he sat up. Glancing to the side he saw Queen Farron still standing guard exactly where she had been standing this whole time. He wondered if she even moved.

Unable to fall back into sleep he stood up and stretched. He thought he would be feeling exhausted but instead he felt fine. He moved besides Lightning and glanced at her; her eyes were keeping a sharp lookout for any threats that may sneak onto them. "You certainly know how to waste your time." Noctis stated, sounding rather irritated.  
Lightning glanced at him briefly. "It is only fair that you and Serah rest. After all, you both did come this far, Prince Noctis." With disgruntled sigh, Noctis faced her. "Enough. Just refer to me as Noctis. No prince, no lord. Only Noctis, understood?" He sounded demanding but he was tired of his title.

Lightning crossed her arms. "Very well…in that case refer to me as Lightning only." It sounded fair enough, Noctis thought.

"I have slept for many days during my stay in that village; I do not need any more rest than that." Lightning explained, sensing that the prince had the urge to criticize her on remaining guard for most likely hours. Noctis huffed indignantly. "Of course… You _are _the Warrior Queen after all." "I fail to see what I did that made you despise me so much, Noctis. If you do know then by all means tell me." The way his name came from her lips seemed to cause Noctis to shiver; it was rather odd.

Instead of answering her, Noctis remained silent and merely glared at the distance.

"When Serah awakens we will continue onward. Does that suit you or are you going to despise me more for the decision?" Lightning said, seemingly unaffected by the prince's apparent spite of her. Noctis placed a hand on his hip. "Do what you want; you are queen while I am prince after all. Is that not what you said before?" "You are quite condescending." Lightning stated bluntly and returned to Serah side.

Only when Lightning sat beside her sleeping sister did Noctis realize that the queen had silently fooled him into becoming the next lookout. "Damn woman…" He muttered under his breath.

* * *

The party of three continued their journey the moment Serah awoke beside her sister. She insisted they go on and that she no longer felt tired. Lightning seemed slightly unsure but in the end relented. Noctis glared at Lightning's back as they walked, still seemingly upset that he had been duped by the queen, even if it was merely a small matter.

Along the way Serah kept trying to conjure arrows, though it seemed a lot more difficult than expected; Lightning had made it seem rather easy.  
The queen continued to teach and reassure Serah whenever the younger sister failed to create an arrow. Just watching them Noctis could easily see that the stubborn determination was indeed a Farron trait.

"You are getting better Serah, I assure you." Lightning said when Serah had nearly managed to fully conjure a fire arrow without having it extinguish with in a split second. Serah smiled proudly; Lightning never said words of reassurance if they were untrue so whenever Lightning would give a compliment it was because she felt that whoever she was teaching was indeed making progress. The queen never beats behind any bush.

"You know Sister, Odin was worried about you as well. He wished to accompany me but I refused." Serah said. Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Did he? How are his injuries? I do remember that Odin had obtained several scrapes during the battle." "They are not serious, do not worry. I am sure he managed to heal as fast as you did. Who knows? Perhaps he has fully recovered by the time we found you!" Lightning chuckled. "Odin is still wild at heart; I have no doubt that he is up and about at this moment."

"You speak as if that stallion of yours were special." Noctis said suddenly. Lightning did not seem offended. "He is." When she did not say anything else, Serah explained for her sister. "Lightning met Odin when she was fifteen; Odin was rather wild and had a terrible temper. He did manage to injure several men who had tried taming him; however…he seemed to have an affinity with my sister." Lightning rolled her eyes skyward. "Leave that story for some other time, Serah."  
Noctis snorted. "Is there something you dislike about that part of your past?" The queen waved him off. "Not at all; it just so happens that it is not an important matter at this very moment."

Serah shrugged; Lightning never did enjoy talking about herself.

"Tell me, Noctis…how is your father faring?" The queen needed to know. Noctis did not bother hiding his irritation. "He is the same as always. I do not see why you should give a damn." "I merely asked a question, Prince. There was no need to act like I killed somebody." Lightning said. The dark-haired prince scoffed at her. "Perhaps you did." He shoved past her so that he was walking in front of the sisters now.

Serah touched Lightning's arm. "Perhaps you should mind your words somewhat, Sister." Lightning frowned but said nothing. Was she that terrible in conversing with other people?

As Serah had predicted, there was much tension between Noctis and her sister. However it was mostly due to Noctis' desire to stay away from Lightning as much as possible, even going so far as to throw rude comments her way just to make Lightning step away from him. Serah inwardly sighed; she had a husband so she very well understood what love was, what it did to one's mind, and how badly it hurts if your loved one were to hurt you. However, Noctis seemed to willingly throw his soul into the fires of the underworld for what he had thought had been real love.  
Serah knew the difference between a charade and love that was true; and yes she knew as well that it did hurt regardless, but to blame people who were not involved…

Lightning it seems, was taking in the most strikes from Noctis' harsh words and rude actions. Of all people he could come to despise most, why her sister? It did not seem right; Lightning had done too much to deserve such treatment but Serah knew if she voiced her opinion, Lightning would shrug her off, and the prince would only scoff. Serah so much wanted to speak to her sister about this, but whenever her eyes met Lightning's she could never make herself speak.

Once in a while, the young queen would go off into the distance on her own, leaving Serah and Noctis to catch up to her. Serah wished to keep in pace with her sister so she ran after her.  
When she found Lightning, her sister seemed to be drinking something from a rather bulging drinking flask made from thick animal skin. Serah guessed it must have come from the village, but what was inside it? Surely not water otherwise Lightning would have saved it for later and it cannot possibly be some kind of beverage.

She walked closer to Lightning but the older Farron heard her and immediately placed the cork back onto the flask.

"Sister…?" Serah stared at the leather flask in Lightning's hand. The queen sighed. "What…are you drinking?" "It is nothing, Serah. Just something to refresh me." Serah glanced at the flask and noticed an odd insignia on it; she had seen I before above the huts of the healers when she had been exploring the village and playing with the children. "Did you visit the healers?"  
Lightning inwardly flinched. "… No. They gave this to me before you and Noctis arrived in the village." The younger sister looked into Lightning's eyes and saw nothing but honesty. "Then…what is inside it?" "Nothing you should be concerned about." Lightning held the neck of the flask tightly.

When Noctis finally reached the sisters, Serah's eyes widened and something came to mind. "I nearly forgot!" She went to Noctis' side and dug into his knapsack. The prince raised an eyebrow until Serah pulled out a white cloak.

Serah returned to Lightning's side and threw the cloak around her sister's shoulders. "I purchased this cloak for you; I knew you would not want any attention drawn to us so I thought you could use this to cover your armor." Lightning smiled and stroked her sister's hair. "Thank you, Sister. This is perfect." The queen tied the flask onto her faulds before straightening her cloak until it covered her armor completely.

The sight of the flask did not escape Noctis' attention. "I hope you are not turning to the ways of a drunkard, Queen Farron. I would not want to be led by someone who could not walk straight." Serah flinched; she knew what was coming next.  
Lightning waved the prince off. "I assure you that whatever I am holding does not contain any intoxicating beverage. If you insist that I am lying, then you are welcome to a step closer and smell my breath." When Noctis made no move to do so, Lightning turned away.

Serah felt that she needed to make peace. "My sister rarely lies. I already questioned her, and I know for certain my sister does not drink. She does, but rarely." Noctis growled but let the matter go. Serah chuckled a bit. "It is difficult to intoxicate my sister, really. I remember when a lord once came to the palace to court my sister; he engaged her into sharing wine with him, hoping to intoxicate her. Unfortunately for the man, the bottle of wine was halfway finished but Lightning was still sober. She had him thrown out of the palace after that."

Noctis gave Serah a look. "Your sister should have realized his intentions before agreeing to sharing a drink." "Do not misunderstand," Serah said. "Lightning very much knew his intentions; she only agreed because she knew how strong her tolerance is. But she dislikes drinking and only does so on occasions such as formal dinners and perhaps during balls."

By this time Lightning had already walked farther than they had. Serah noticed and ran to reach her sister's side. Noctis shook his head; it was odd how attached the sisters were. Or rather, how attached Serah was.

It was close to sunset and Lightning felt her body tense. The area they were in was open and she sensed that encountering dangers would be unavoidable.

"I think it's best that we keep moving until we find good shelter." She announced. Serah looked around. "It is because this area is wide open, isn't it?" Lightning nodded. "We should rest somewhere that has trees at least." Noctis felt like a carrier chocobo for these women and it was beginning to frustrate him. He followed them and the last of the sun's warmth faded as soon as it fell behind the plains and the moon took its place.  
Serah shivered and Lightning wrapped an arm around her sister. It took some time but soon they came across a rather large tree with a large hollow hole. It seemed ideal to rest in. Noctis watched as the queen guided Serah inside.

"I will keep watch." Lightning said. Noctis took his knapsack off his back and tossed it to where it landed at the base of the tree. He was clearly irritated now; he had traveled for days with Serah just to look for her sister, and now that they have found her they must all travel back to Bodhum. The prince did love to journey off into the world, but not with two burdens accompanying him.

Unable to control his mouth, Noctis snapped. "I hope you are both worth is trouble."

When Lightning did not respond to him, he growled. "Listen to me when I am speaking to you, woman!" The queen glanced at him warily. Serah peeked out of the tree worriedly upon hearing the prince's tone. Lightning turned her head to look at Noctis. "Is there any reason why you decided to suddenly raise your voice?"  
He could not stand the queen's indifference. Noctis' temper began to rise even more. "I only accompanied your sister so that she may not fall into a lair of monsters simply by being alone. Now that she has managed to reunite with you I do not see why I am still here! I should have left you both and gone my own way!"

Lightning faced the prince fully, her eyes flashed dangerously and Noctis nearly felt himself freeze but he held ground. "I am tired of following you. From here on I will go on my own way; you both return to Bodhum on your own, without me! And keep that knapsack, I do not need it!"

As Noctis turned to leave, Lightning spoke. "It would not be wise to wander on your own into such an open area. There is no telling what dangers lurk." "I will take my chances, especially if it manages to lead me away from _you_!" Noctis raised his voice more, startling Serah.  
Lightning glared at Noctis' retreating form. "If you leave now there is a good chance that you might get attacked! Whether you are strong fighter or not, to venture off on your own is suicide!" The prince lifted his head in the air haughtily. "Good. I prefer death than life anyhow!" He stormed off, leaving the sisters alone.

Serah looked up at Lightning. The queen sighed. "… Forgive me, Serah. It seems that I really am terrible at communicating with people…" Serah shook her head. "It's all right, Sister…"

Before long, Serah's exhaustion got the better of her and she was soon asleep. Lightning remained at her side, wide awake and deep in thought. Lightning looked towards the direction in which Noctis had stormed off; it would seem that he truly did intend to go his own way. But it was not safe for anyone to be alone at this hour in such a wide open plain. The chances of monster attacks were incredibly high no matter what anyone thought.  
Lightning was not sure what came over her but she knew for certain that she could not possibly just allow the fool to lose his life to the claws of monsters. Her promise to Lord Giovanni was still clear in her mind and she intended to make sure the king still had his son.

Without a second thought, Lightning got to her feet and headed off to where the prince stormed off.

_-XIII-_

Noctis felt content slowly creep into him as soon as he was sure he was far enough from the sisters. He no longer wished to care for them, and he never did from the start.  
Lightning was surely to bring herself and Serah back to Bodhum without his presence, and that suited him just well. His own life was all that mattered to him, nothing else nor did he need anything else. And moving on was not an option he wished to take.

The open plains made him shiver and it only worsened when he heard the howls of feral creatures. In an instant, the black wolf replaced the form of the man.  
Noctis' eyes surveyed his surroundings as he trotted onward. He was perfectly capable of fighting monsters that barred his path with ease.

Growls and snarls of monsters could be heard in the distance at nearly every direction; no doubt they were out competing against one another for food or territory. The wolf could easily smell where the beasts' territories were, giving him a better chance at avoiding any unwanted encounters.  
Carefully he moved along, doing his best not to grab the attention of any monsters. However luck as it seemed, was not on his side at all.

A pack of silver lobo appeared from the brushes that surrounded the sides of the open plain.

They snarled at the large wolf challengingly. Though Noctis as a wolf was larger than them, a whole pack was still deadly to one animal no matter the size. But in the prince's mind, he was powerful and such encounters were not for him to worry.  
The black wolf held his head high and snarled back. The silver lobo pack shrunk back for a second before they regained their bearings and began surrounding Noctis. They snapped their jaws and growled threateningly.

Noctis knew he was not in their territory so it was likely this rowdy pack was only here for a fight. He arched his back, making his large form seem bigger. The pack seemed to be going back and forth between retreating and attacking him; it seems they were all indecisive.

Noctis smirked and took his chance. He pounced on the pack. The smaller beasts yelped but quickly retaliated. They all formed ranks and leapt onto Noctis' body. They latched onto him by digging their fangs into his body. The large black wolf threw them off but they returned within an instant.  
The silver lobo pack bit down hard on the back of Noctis' neck, his chest, flank, and back. The prince howled in pain and threw them off again.  
Before the monsters could attack again, Noctis' swords materialized above his head and then flew right into each silver lobo. The monsters yipped and yelped as they dropped one by one, lifeless.

Noctis snorted in victory but a shadow loomed over him. The wolf turned and jumped back; a large silver lobo, even larger than he was, towered above him.

The creature stood on its hind legs and raised one paw, intending to strike at the prince. Noctis leapt back and the large silver lobo swiped at the ground instead, sending soil flying in all directions.  
The black wolf jumped and bit down on the giant's neck. The lobo tossed its head back and forth, trying to dislodge the pest that clung to it. It smacked a claw against Noctis' side, sending him flying off its neck.

Noctis crashed and tumbled onto the earthy ground. He forced himself to stand despite how shaky his paws and legs were. The silver lobo tried its luck once more and raised its claws to strike a lethal blow.

The pain never came. Noctis opened his eyes and the sight before him nearly shocked him; Lightning stood in front of the lobo, her sword and shield raised above her head, blocking the monster's attack. Noctis snarled. "You damn woman! I told you I wanted to be _away_ from you!"  
Lightning ignored him and concentrated on the lobo. It pushed forward, causing Lightning's feet to slide backwards slightly. She grunted and shoved in return, surprising the beast with her own strength despite her smaller size.

Lightning gave a violent shove, catching the lobo off guard and leaving it vulnerable. She lifted her sword upwards, stabbing it into the monster's throat.

The gigantic silver lobo shrieked in pain and began frantically shaking itself around, desperately trying to dislodge the sword from its throat.  
Lightning narrowed her eyes, looking for an opening. Once the lobo lifted its head, revealing the sword, Lightning charged forward, her arm stretched outwards. She hit her palm against the butt of her sword, making the blade enter deeper into the monster's throat.

The silver lobo choked on its own blood before it fell to the ground, limp.

Noctis yelled in frustration as his wolf form dissolved into his true form. Lightning looked at him as he glared at her. He said not a word and instead got to his feet again and moved off in his own direction again. Lightning inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself.  
She heard a soft snarl and turned towards the corpse. Within a blink of an eye, the lobo rose from the dead and charged at Noctis with murderous intent. Lightning ran for the prince.

"Noctis!" The prince turned but was shoved backwards, landing on his backside. There was a sound of hard claws striking at something.

"_Agh_!" Noctis' eyes widened when he found Lightning down on one knee, clutching the right side of her face. Blood spilled onto the earth as the lobo cried out one last time then died once more after having wasted its final attempts at revenge.  
The queen' held her hand to the right side of her face; it was bleeding and she could feel the three gashes from the lobo's claws. She was fortunate that the claws missed her eye and merely struck her flesh. It would have been terrible if she lost half her sight.

She turned around to look at Noctis who seemed rather frozen. She walked over to him, keeping her hand over her face, covering her eye as well to prevent the blood from leaking into her eye. She held out her left hand to him but he slapped it away.  
Lightning stepped back. "Return to camp with me; you seemed to have sprained your side badly." She turned on her heels and walked back to camp. Noctis felt as if he were in some trance despite how angry he was at how the queen interfered once again. His feet moved on their own and followed Lightning back to where Serah was.

* * *

Serah awoke to find Lightning missing from her side. Before she could worry, her ears caught the sound of rustling caught her attention. She sighed in relief and stepped out to greet her sister but became frozen like a block of ice when she saw the condition Lightning was in. It nearly made her heart stop beating for a brief moment from the shock.

The right side of her sister's face was bleeding terribly with the red droplets falling to the ground, even trailing behind her as she walked. Behind her was Noctis, not looking at all pleased. Lightning was holding a hand to her face but the blood slipped past her fingers and down the back of her hand, sliding down to her arm and elbow and dripping onto the soil beneath her feet.

"Sister!" Serah rushed to her sibling's side as Lightning sat at the base of their tree shelter. "It is only a scratch, Serah." She said calmly. The younger Farron could not believe her ears. "Just a scratch? _That _is not a scratch, Lightning! You're bleeding badly! What happened?"  
Lightning pressed her back against the tree. "Silver lobo. The larger variant of the species." That was the only explanation she gave.

Noctis raised an eyebrow; he had expected Lightning to point fingers at him but instead she gave a vague but understandable answer about her injuries.

Serah gently took Lightning's hand off the wound in order to inspect it. Serah tried not to gasp and pushed back a feeling of nausea; she will not faint in front of Lightning when she needed her the most. She frowned worriedly. "Your face… Lightning I…" She did not know what else to say; she loved how sharp her sister's face always looked whether she had a smile, a smirk, or a frown upon her lips. Lightning waved her off. "It is nothing, Serah. I still have my sight."  
Serah inspected Lightning's eye and sighed in relief when she saw Lightning's pupil was still solid black and her eye was still an electrifying blue. But that did not change the fact that Lightning looked terrible with three large gashes on her face. "Leave it Serah. Another scar is nothing to get upset over." Lightning reassured but her sister shook her head stubbornly.

Sighing in defeat and placing her hand over her wound again, Lightning nodded over at Noctis' knapsack that he had left with them. "Look inside; there should be a healing salve."

Serah dug into the sack immediately at an urgent pace. Noctis wondered why the queen was not concerned; usually women of status would be sobbing when their faces were damaged even just a slight. And the wounds Lightning had on her face were more than enough reason to cry over, yet she merely sat there like it meant nothing.

Finally Serah took out a small cylinder case and uncapped it. It had a strong scent of herbs, but the smell was not unpleasant and it relaxed Serah as its scent entered her nostrils.  
She returned to Lightning and scooped a bit of the goop with her fingers. "Take your hand off." Lightning complied and removed her hand from her face. The bleeding had slowed down but Serah intended to make it stop. She gently applied the salve on the large gashes. Lightning winced slightly but the action was hardly noticeable. Serah sighed.

"I feel terrible that it might scar your face…"

"It won't."

"Huh?"

"The salve was created to heal flesh to the point that not even a scar would be left behind."

The younger Farron sighed in relief. "That is good. I do not want to see my sister's face destroyed." She giggled at her own jest. Lightning huffed. "It is only a scar, Serah." The young queen grunted when Serah pressed herself up against Lightning's chest. "You scared me!" Lightning stroked her sister's hair then chuckled. "Fix your hair, Serah. Your hair band is falling off."  
Serah gasped and felt her side-ponytail. Indeed it was slightly disheveled. She turned the other way to fix her hair back into its proper form. Lightning grabbed a roll of bandages from the knapsack and wrapped the right side of her face until the right side of her face was covered in white wrappings, with only her eye peeking through the gap between the wrappings.

Noctis grit his teeth. "Why did you come after me? I already said I want nothing to do with you! Look what you got yourself into now, you fool!"

Serah stopped fixing her hair to look at her sister and Noctis. Lightning said nothing and merely sat there. Noctis stomped over to her and punched the tree. "I am talking to you!" "What do you want me to say, Noctis? There is not point anymore; what's done is done." Lightning said a growl evident in her voice. "You should have remained here and let me be! As I said; I prefer to die than to spend another moment with the likes of you or anyone else!"  
Lightning stood up and glared at the prince; her bandaged face made her seem even more intimidating and she was only a head shorter than him. "Stop acting like a child! You saw what happened! You saw how dangerous those monsters were! Imagine if those beasts had been infected by chaos! You were lucky those monsters were clean and not tainted by the chaos!"

Noctis' eyes faded into a crimson color. His swords began to materialize and circle him.

Lightning waved him off indifferently. "As I said; what's done is done now. You might as well rest with us again." She sat back down. Noctis roared in frustration then walked off a few meters away. Lightning inhaled but paused. She grabbed the flask from her side, removed the cork and drank from it. She sighed when she drank enough, and tied it onto her side once again.

Serah tried not to shake from the bellowing of Noctis and Lightning's voices, and from seeing Lightning drink from the mysterious flask. She looked up at the sky and prayed silently. _"Divine Etro, watch over us all…"_

* * *

**Sanctuaire Drinking Game: Take a shot every time Noctis causes Lightning to be injured.**

**Okay, I will spare you guys from having a hangover by saying this: If you do play this drinking game you will become more than drop-dead drunk. If you get what I mean…**

**First of all I want to apologize if you were expecting a more exciting brawl to happen between Nara and Noctis, but as I said at the beginning he is merely a character I created to either be liked or cautioned against, and to provide a small annoyance and obstacle for Noctis. But who knows, you might see him again one of these days.**

**And yes, you guys were not imagining things; Noctis **_**did**_** cause injury to Lightning's beautiful face. And before anyone gets confused let me explain: the healing salve Serah applied to Lightning's wound will heal the gashes to the point that it will not scar Lightning's face, however, the wound will not heal overnight. It will take some time and the wound will heal at a regular pace, but because of the salve, when the gashes heal completely, no scar will be left. Bottom line: the effects of the salve is not instant.**

**Silver lobo is an enemy from Final Fantasy XII but they also appear in Final Fantasy XIII in the Gapra Whitewood, in the game. The giant silver lobo is based on one of the Marks on Pulse that entails the player to fight a bigger version of the silver lobo, but it has a different name.**

**If you have played Final Fantasy XIII and took note of the enemies' appearance and their names then you should be familiar with this monster: ****Megistotherian.  
The Megistotherian is a Mark for one of the Cie'th stone missions and is a larger version of the silver lobo. If you remember what it looks like then yes, **_**that**_** is what struck Lightning in the face. If you are not familiar with the monster just type it down when you search for it; there is a screenshot of Lightning fighting it. It will give you a vision of how the fight in this chapter went and what kind of creature slashed Lightning's face.**

**Before I forget, one of you asked me if Lightning is her real name in this fic or not. My answer to that is: Just wait and see!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed, this is the longest chapter I have done in a while and I am still in the groove right now. But if anything confuses you or if there is something you wish to confirm, ask me and I will do my best to answer, provided that it won't spoil the story but I will try to answer without giving too much away.**

**That's all for today. I will see you guys again in the next chapter I write! Stay awesome you guys, I really appreciate everything!**

**Until then…**


	18. Chapter XVIII: Verto

**Disclaimer:**** Happy New Year everyone. How was your New Year celebration? Hope you had a good time! I thought I would do a little writing to celebrate this occasion! So enough dallying, let's jump right in!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XVIII: Verto**

They rushed onward as fast as their legs could carry them. Lightning felt a surge of urgency and desperation fill her as she dashed ahead.  
Serah did her best to keep up with her sister, understanding Lightning's distress; she felt the same thing as she did. Noctis in his wolf guise merely ran by their side, unsure as to why the sisters had suddenly turned and ran when they had been merely walking along calmly not too long ago.

The wounds on Lightning's face were covered by the white bandages and healing rather well despite how badly it damaged her flesh. The salve was doing its duty well; healing Lightning's wounds and closing the skin until the scars were sure to disappear. The effects are not instant but in time her flesh would be whole again.

However, that was the very least of the young queen's worries.

Lightning's armor clattered underneath the white tunic as she ran, not bothering to stop and catch her breath. Serah was the same and it only puzzled Noctis more. He had been intent on leaving the sisters the next morning but instead he found himself debating internally until he had come to the conclusion that perhaps if he brought the sisters back to Bodhum where his father could see then perhaps they would allow him to leave easily without argument rather than having them track him down and drag him back all over again.

Lightning felt her heart thunder in her chest as soon as she reached the very edge of the fields. She prayed that her feelings were wrong. But as she reached the end, her heart shattered at the sight that lay before her. Serah and Noctis arrived at her side and their eyes widened.

Before them, the tall towering form of Bodhum's palace was torn and nearly destroyed. The town itself was in ruins. The wonderful fields around Bodhum was dry and ruined, the trees nearby were dead and not one left hung onto their branches. Small fires still burned from the inside of Bodhum, revealing to the party of three just what had caused the destruction.

Lightning was devastated. Her fists clenched and her body began to shake. Serah stepped back and pulled on Noctis' fur, encouraging the black wolf to do so. Within that second, lightning bolts surrounded the young queen's body.  
As if responding to her anger, the skies darkened just as the bolts around Lightning's body shot up and around her. To Noctis' surprise, despite Lightning's enraged mood, her involuntary thunder attacks never touched him or Serah. Could it be possible that Lightning had complete control even while enraged? Or was it because somehow her power knew the difference between foe and friend?

Serah carefully approached Lightning and touched her left arm. In response Lightning drew her right arm back then threw it out again, summoning a bolt of lightning crashing down into the already destroyed gate of Bodhum.

Thunder rumbled overhead, startling Serah but she remained by her sister's side. "What happened here?" Lightning roared in anger. Just seeing how terrible Bodhum's condition has become, she could feel her blood boil with uncontrollable anger that matched the oncoming storms.  
Serah was not sure of how to answer her sister. "I do not understand…when we left…everybody was fine. Bodhum was recovering…!"

Noctis shook his head in frustration; if Bodhum was in this condition, how could he possibly leave now? He was stuck with the sisters for even longer!

Lightning seemed to take a step forward but stopped when a troop of black-armored soldiers ran about, expecting the gate she had attacked when a strike of a thunder spell. Alongside them were another variety of soldiers but their armor was a dull blue in color.  
The queen's eyes narrowed into a ferocious glare; she recognized the armor. It was the armor of Tenebrae. So it seems Caius had returned and claimed her kingdom in her absence; the coward!

Serah tried not to tremble. "Sister…please let us fall back for now…"

Lightning shook her head but took a step back, resisting the urge to rush downhill and charge at her enemies. Serah looked around carefully. "We also need to be sure that everyone is alright; perhaps some might have met casualties but knowing them they must have survived somehow, isn't that right? Lightning?" At her sister's hopeful tone, Lightning calmed herself. "… We will search the area for any signs of life."

Noctis snorted and Lightning glared at him. "I do not care if you would rather rot in the underworld than to see if your father is alive or not. Serah and I will go ourselves, and if you wish to leave like the coward you are, then do so!"

Lightning stormed off and Serah followed close behind. The black wolf snarled and barked at the queen's retreating form, angrily. Lightning had the nerve to speak to him that way! How Noctis wished he could tear her heart from her chest. He glanced at Bodhum's dark and dying shape. The kingdom had been overrun and it seemed to do more than anger the queen; she had seemed ready to destroy and not just defeat.

With an exasperated roar, the wolf followed the sisters once again but remained at a distance.

The urgent matter at this very moment was the make sure that there were those who survive the overthrowing of Bodhum. Lightning did not seem too optimistic but Serah knew Lightning would not give up hope in her friends; she was loyal and determined.  
"I am sure they are fine, Lightning." Serah said in a low voice. Lightning shook her head. "I am more worried about the citizens…" That was understandable, and as much as possible the sisters hoped that the people of Bodhum have managed to avoid meaningless slaughter.

For long minutes they scouted nearby areas that any survivor would stumble into should they want to rest or recover from wounds and to set up a campsite.

Noctis was close to opening his mouth and declaring the search a lost cause until his ears caught the sound of yelling. The sisters heard it as well and ran in the direction of the yelling. The prince groaned and trotted after them silently.  
The sounds lead them into a thick brush protected and shielded by the forms of large trees that still lived with bright green leaves hanging off its branches. Lightning held Serah back to make her stand behind her. The younger sister remained cautious and pressed close to Lightning.

The young queen walked straight into the bushes where the yelling seemed to grow louder. Listening carefully, the party of three could clearly hear the yelling being about assisting the injured. Now they were certain that there were indeed survivors from Bodhum. This was lucky for them, and a good sign as well, so far.

Lightning walked forward until she reached the area in which the yells and sounds originated from.

The soldier who had been the one yelling heard the approach of the party and tensed. He made a move to draw out his weapon but stopped when he realized who it was. He let his hand drop from the hilt of his weapon and he dropped to his knees and bowed his head. "Queen Lightning!"  
Several other soldiers nearby heard him and their eyes widened. They called out to everyone else, announcing the arrival of their queen.

Lightning looked around as more soldiers gathered around her, praising her and thanking the gods that she was alive and well.

As soon as the soldiers had bowed their heads at the queen, Serah smiled in relief when she saw Fang approaching. The general looked relieved and draped her arm around Lightning. "You're alive! Thank Etro for that!" Lightning seemed frozen for a moment before she pat Fang's back reassuringly. "I am fine, Fang. But…"

The general pulled away and frowned. "What happened to your face?" Lightning groaned. "It is nothing. Just a scratch from a silver lobo." Fang turned her glare to the black wolf who had just arrived onto the scene. Fang grabbed her lance from her back and stomped towards him. "You…insolent little…!" Noctis jumped back and bared his fangs at her. Lightning intervened, sending a bolt of a thunder spell crashing in between them.

Fang groaned. "For Etro's sake, Lightning!" Noctis snorted in annoyance.

Lightning held a hand up. "Now is not the time for that. And I as I said; it is just a scratch. Fang, I want you to tell me what happened to Bodhum." Her eyes turned steely with rage at the thought of her kingdom being overrun with vermin from Valhalla and Tenebrae. The huntress sighed and put her lance away. "Come with me. And you men get back to work now!" The soldiers scattered about to continue their duties.  
"Ten days after Serah and Prince Caelum left to find you, we received word that Valhalla and Tenebrae were on their way to attack Bodhum once more. We barely managed to evacuate the citizens and send them off to Nifleheim with several escorts. Some soldiers stayed behind in Bodhum to buy us time…" Fang trailed off and Lightning understood. "They were great men." The queen acknowledged but stopped for a moment. "The wife and her husband…?"  
"Ah. They left on the day you released the husband during the first attack on Bodhum before you went missing." Fang answered.

Lightning, Serah, and Noctis followed Fang to a large tent. Fang lifted the flaps for them and Lightning went in first. The queen was stunned; Giovanni Caelum sat on the bunk in the tent, his body covered in bandages. Vanille was tending to his wounds until she noticed Lightning. Her emerald-green eyes sparkled. "Lightning!" She jumped up and embraced her queen. Serah entered the tent next and was then brought into Vanille's arms as well.

Lightning approached the king and got down on one knee, bowing down to him. "Lord Giovanni. Forgive me." The aging king scooted closer in order to touch Lightning's cheek, making her look up at him while he smiled at her warmly. "For what reason? I was aware you needed to recover as well, Young Queen. No need to fret over me; the worst is over now. But your face seems to be the opposite." Lightning touched the bandage on the right side of her face. "… It is just a scratch."

Noctis entered the tent and caught sight of his father on the bunk. His chest tightened but he held the emotion back and looked away.

Giovanni noticed him. "Noctis… I…I am glad you are still here, my son." Noctis turned his back on the king. "I am only here because the queen and her sister had nowhere to go because Bodhum had been overthrown." Fang reached for her lance but Lightning stood up and stopped her. "Leave him be Fang. If he wishes to leave he is free to do so. He has done his part."

Giovanni looked up at Lightning, remembering something. "That reminds me…" He placed his hand underneath the pillow of the bunk and took out a book. He handed it to Lightning. "I assume this is your favorite volume. I still remember your father telling how much you love reading this as a child." Lightning stared at the _Fabula Nova Crystallis_ book and stroked its modest title.

"… I have missed this book. Thank you." She looked at the king and bowed her head politely. Giovanni chuckled. "I know it may be a small thing but I thought you might feel better with at least this book with you."

Lightning shrugged. "It was the first book my father ever read to me when I was young." The aging king nodded in understanding. "I know how it feels to treasure even such a simple item. There are some things I keep by since the passing of my queen, Noctis' mother."

Noctis huffed indignantly and left the tent. Serah took a seat beside Giovanni. The king placed a comforting hand on the younger Farron's shoulder. "All will work out fine, child." Serah prayed he was right. Lightning then walked out the tent as well, brushing past Noctis outside as she went. Giovanni and Serah watched in silence while Fang and Vanille exchanged odd expressions with one another.

Lightning walked off past the many tents and soldiers, ignoring their greetings and their bowing. She headed off a few meters away and settled down on the grass. She rested her head in her hands tiredly and gingerly touched the bandaged half of her face.  
She opened her cloak and untied the flask from her faulds. She removed the cork and drank from the flask. The nearly-tasteless liquid slid down her throat until she stopped and placed the cork back then tied the flask back to her side.

A loud neigh disrupted her thoughts and brought her back to reality. Lightning stood up in an instant and followed the sound. She arrived back at camp and there, she saw the familiar black figure she had grown fond of all these years.

Odin was in a panicked and enraged state; the soldiers did their best to restrain the wild stallion but Odin continued to kick and buck, and neigh. With a toss of his head he managed to throw off anyone who came near to him. The soldiers tied roped around him in an attempt to keep him down and prevent the stallion from harming anyone around him.  
The steed refused to obey and reared; standing on his hind legs and lifting his front legs into the air as he let out a shrill cry of dismay.

Lightning walked over to the scene and looked up at her faithful companion for a moment before she called out his name. "Odin!"

The stallion stopped moving and looked in her direction. His eyes shone with recognition the instant he saw her. The soldiers realized their queen had returned for her steed and released the ropes. Odin wasted no time in trotting over to his master and pressing his snout against her face.  
Lightning stroked her stallion's forehead in return. "I missed you as well, old friend." Odin nudged her injured face and the queen rolled her eyes. "It is just a scratch for Etro's sake."

Fang and Vanille exited the tent and found their friend reuniting with her steed. Fang sighed in relief as she approached. "I am glad, Lightning. Odin has been terribly unhappy ever since you went missing; he kept going into fits of rage and would not listen to anyone including me. He refuses to calm down and even managed to escape several times before he was caught again."

Lightning stroked Odin's smooth white mane and then his sleek black neck. "It's all right now…" Odin lowed and pressed his nose against Lightning's temple. The queen took the ropes off his body before turning to Fang. "Where do they keep the mounts here?" Fang gestured to a makeshift stable where several surviving chocobos were.  
The young queen guided her steed to the stable and he calmly complied. Serah could not help but smile; after all this time the bond between Lightning and Odin was still as strong as it had been when she was merely fifteen.

As Lightning settled Odin in she turned to Vanille who had followed behind her. "What of the prince?" "He seemed to have left." Vanille reported. Lightning said nothing and merely nodded. "Very well…" Without another word, the queen walked over to a soldier who then led her to a tent she may stay in. Serah played with her fingers as she stared at the ground.

"Tell me Serah; was that prince responsible for what happened to Lightning's face?" Fang asked; her arms crossed over her chest and her expression stern. Serah shook her head. "I don't know. I was asleep and when I awoke, Lightning had been injured by a silver lobo." In truth, Serah suspected Noctis might have something to do with it, but Lightning never responded or pointed fingers at him. It made Serah realize that despite the prince's shortcomings, Lightning had nothing against him. She always knew her sister was selfless and kind despite the cold exterior she put up for all to see.

Fang huffed. "Well regardless, the man is nothing but a selfish child. He clings to his princess even though she tricked him." "He thought was in love Fang…" Vanille tried to defend but the huntress laughed bitterly. "_Love_? That is the problem Vanille! Prince Noctis thought fairytales were real! In the end it cost him!"

_-XIII-_

Lightning sat on the bunk in her tent. She could clearly hear the discussion outside. Although she had to agree with Fang, in a way, Lightning felt that the prince was lucky in a way. At least he felt certain emotions; it was one of the many things she herself failed to accomplish.

Serah entered the tent a moment later. Lightning glanced up at her. "You may rest if you want."

The younger sister sat on the second bunk and sighed tiredly. Serah laid down and closed her eyes, exhausted from running so far on their journey.  
Lightning watched her young sibling for a moment before restlessness began to sink in. The female monarch glanced at her sister one more time before she left the tent.

The commotion had died down and everyone at camp was calm for now.

Lightning could hear no fuss coming from Odin, and she was glad for that. She untied the flask from her side and drank again. She took her fill and carefully felt the weight of the flask; her drink would not last for long. She walked along camp, taking in the setup that everyone had prepared. She hoped the enemy had not known that there were survivors here. The sun was beginning to set and Lightning could not help but wonder how far Noctis must have gone by now.

Suddenly loud explosions and the sounds of battle cries rang in her ears.

Lightning turned and traced the origins of the sound, following it a few ways away from camp. The queen could now hear blades swinging about and the noises of magic attacks.  
What was happening? She found her answer when she reached the very edge of camp where the view of Bodhum could be easily seen. _"The fool!"_

Below Lightning could see the soldiers of Valhalla and Tenebrae rioting about, and the black wolf prancing around them, taking down any soldiers that stood in his path.  
Lightning shook her head in disbelief; what in Etro's name had the prince been _thinking_? He was willing to place himself in danger and have his life taken by the enemy for nothing! Now there he was, among enemy ranks, dispatching as many as he could in a fit of blind rage to avenge a memory that had never truly been.

Lightning turned and went back to camp. The soldiers of Bodhum jump, startled by their ruler's actions. "My lady?" "Give me you knives!" Lightning ordered, not stopping to speak to them, "Where is the armory?" She demanded as the soldiers handed her their knives.

The soldiers directed her to a tent filled with choices of armor and weapons. They had no time to ask her questions as Lightning entered the tent.  
She quickly stripped off her armor, leaving her in her black body suit. In the corner her eye caught sight of a white tunic that buttoned up on the front. She grabbed it and buttoned it shut. She reached out for a black body armor for her front and donned black breeches she had found in the same spot where she discovered the white tunic.

Lightning picked up the white cloak Serah had given her and threw it on. As she exited the armory tent, her companions were looking at her oddly. Lightning walked past them and pulled a white hood over her head; it seems Serah had failed to mention the cloak she had consisted of a hood. But it was all well and perfect.

"Lightning! Where are you going?" She could hear Fang calling out to her but she ignored her general's calls. "Lightning!"

The queen moved past the trees swiftly, returning to where she had seen the prince fighting in his wolf body. Once she had returned, he was still there fighting, but now wounds covered his body. More soldiers closed in on him. Lightning moved quickly and skidded down to where the fight continued.

Nocis snarled as the enemy continued to surround him. He was not willing to surrender until he had destroyed them all; were it not for Tenebrae's greed corrupting their princess's mind, his love would still be by his side. He wanted revenge, and he was going to receive it now, even if he had to die in the process. The black wolf barked angrily as the dark soldiers lifted their swords.

Before the final blow was struck, a flash of silver flew over Noctis' head and struck the soldiers' throats. The wolf stared in confusion.

The last soldier standing looked up over Noctis' head only to be met with a hooded figure landing on his chest, embedding another knife into his windpipe. The soldier choked on his own blood as he stumbled about, trying to regain his senses but failed.  
The man grabbed his throat, his hands fumbling about and feeling at the hilt of the knife. He fell to the ground in his own pool of blood within a second after. As he lost his life, several more soldiers charged at the hooded figure.

Gracefully, the cloaked fighter sped through the hordes of men and stopped once they had swooped past her. To Noctis' disbelief, the soldiers tensed then fell to the ground, lifeless.  
The hooded figure turned and looked at him. Noctis arched his back until the figure slowly removed the hood. It was Lightning.

The queen looked to the side, noticing a surviving soldier. She summoned her blade and walked to him slowly, like a predator. The soldier stopped crawling when he felt Lightning's feet stop beside him. He looked up at her and her stormy cold eyes. He choked and began to laugh; the insane sound made Noctis shudder somewhat until he saw Lightning lift her sword.  
With her face devoid of any emotion, Lightning struck her sword into the soldier's chest, ending him. She withdrew her sword and dismissed it before turning to the black wolf. She looked over her shoulder briefly to make sure no more of the enemies' troops would emerge then looked at Noctis sternly.

"What were you thinking Prince?"

"Again, you interfere with my affairs!"

"Do not change the subject! You had deliberately endangered yourself and perhaps even to the point that you might have given away the location of our camp!"

"That is not my concern! I wanted to destroy them myself, not to have you take all the glory like you always do!"

"What do you wish to gain by mindlessly charging into the enemy's line of sight?"

"Revenge! Stella would still be here were it not for Tenebrae and Valhalla!"

Lightning scoffed. "Was that what you thought? You thought that the Fleuret heiress was forced to betray you? No, Prince. She was not forced; she was one of the very minds that planned for you and your father's demise and for your country's fall. She was the one who led the scheme and plotted it along with the very one who rules Valhalla."  
Noctis glared at her and snapped his jaws at Lightning's face. The queen jumped back to avoid the attack. "You lying wench!" He roared. "I am not lying! Did you forget what Tenebrae is? Did you forget that they were the very first nation to become corrupted by the powers they held?"

"I do not care!"

"You should! Stop thinking of your own desires!"

"My desires and my affairs are _my own_! Do not think you have the right to tell me what is right just because you saved me from those hunters!"

"I am saying this to you as someone who is friends with your father and your nation!"

"You are no friend to me!"

"Be that as it may, Prince Noctis…your actions may have caused meaningless deaths; your own and my companions' as well."

Noctis glared at her coldly. "I will say this once; get out of my way." Lightning refused to budge and Noctis shoved past her. "Tend to your own people and to my father if you must. He is nothing to me now." Lightning opened her mouth to speak but no words came out except for a loud pained cry. An arrow struck at Lightning's shoulder, digging into her flesh. A burning sensation seeped through Lightning's senses as her blood slipped down the wound on her left shoulder.

Noctis turned towards Bodhum's main gate, noticing an archer stationed there. He snarled. Lightning lifted a hand and a bolt of lightning struck the watchtower and the soldier.

The queen yanked the arrow out of her shoulder and held onto the wound. She grabbed Noctis' fur with her free hand and pulled him back to where the camp was hidden. The wolf barked in protest but the queen's hold was rather tight on his fur.  
They reached camp and Lightning let him go. She trudged to her tent where Serah and Vanille peeked out of the tent after hearing a commotion only for them to gasp.

"Lightning!"

"Sister!"

The handmaiden and younger Farron rushed to Lightning's side and stared at her shoulder. "Arrow." Lightning said with a pained grunt.  
Vanille guided Lightning to her tent to tend to her wounds. Fang had exited her own tent, puzzled. "What is happening out here?" "It…" Serah was not sure what to say. The general looked at Noctis and glared at him suspiciously. "You… Did you not leave already?" The black wolf snorted in the general's face haughtily. Fang's eyes widened and she entered Lightning's tent.

The queen was seated on her bunk with Vanille tending to a bleeding hole in her shoulder. The redhead gasped at Fang's entrance.

The huntress growled. "That damned prince!" Lightning merely sat there. "Do not provoke him Fang. Enough arguments have occurred already." Fang stared in disbelief.  
"So you are going to allow him to get away with causing you harm?" Fang said as she sat on the tent's floor. Lightning sighed. "Forget about the prince, Fang; there are more urgent matters to think of." Vanille dabbed a potion-soaked cloth onto Lightning's wound and the queen hissed at the sting. Vanille winced at the sound and the thought of how painful it must have felt.

Serah entered the tent. "Lightning…are you…?" "I am fine, Serah. An arrow is not enough to stop me from moving." Lightning dismissed. The younger sister frowned. "You were hurt again." The queen shrugged and Vanille yelped and urgently warned Lightning against shrugging.

Lightning sighed and placed her hand on the bandaged that covered the right side of her face. She unwrapped the covering slowly, much to her company's surprise. Once the bandage came off, Vanille gasped at the sight of the three scars on Lightning's face. Fang chuckled, "It does not look too bad. It makes you seem more dangerous." Lightning rolled her eyes and Vanille gave Fang a look. "How can you say that? Those look terribly painful!"

"The scars will disappear soon." Lightning said as Serah understood and fetched the salve she had used before and applied more to Lightning's scars.

Outside the tent, Noctis' wolf form dissolved into his human body once more. The prince paced, angrily kicking at the dirt beneath his feet. He was beginning to despise how much the queen continued standing in his way. Why did she insist on interfering? Why did she have to appear wherever he was?  
Noctis' mind continued to buzz with questions. The more thoughts entered his mind, the more confusion he felt. Why was everything around him preventing him from leaving and having his satisfaction? It was his life and his alone, why must everyone be against him? Even life itself.

Lightning exited the tent, waking Noctis from his thoughts. She seemed unbothered by the injury to her shoulder. He huffed as she entered another tent, one that was bigger than the rest. Serah, Vanille, and Fang noticed and followed Lightning inside. Noctis groaned and remained where he was.

* * *

"At our currently condition, it would be impossible for us to take Bodhum back." Fang said to those present in the gathering.

Giovanni spoke then, "That is why I think it would be best that we all return to Nifleheim. From there I can provide assistance and perhaps summon the rest of the Alliance." Lightning crossed her arms as she thought hard for a moment; it would be difficult to even think of leaving Bodhum behind for even a while. It hurt too much to think of what the enemy was doing to her country.

Noctis had entered the tent at that moment and remained in the corner. The gathering paid him no mind as they continued their discussion. Upon hearing that they were to go to Nifleheim, Noctis could not help but wonder one thing. "What of your crystal?"

Lightning and her companions looked at him. "They cannot get the crystal, nor can they find it." Lightning said confidently. The prince raised an eyebrow at her.

With a sigh, Lightning walked closer to him then placed a hand on her chest. A pinkish light shone and sure enough, a pink rose-shaped crystal materialized. Noctis' eyes widened and Lightning explained; "As you know, those of the Alliance keep their crystal hidden away, safe from the enemy's reach should they manage to enter the palace. However, as a precaution, the monarchs of the Alliance have their crystals fused into them for safekeeping. Those of the Cruor Mucro do not know how to infuse their crystal into their being because they show off their power."  
Giovanni approached his son and held his hand out. A blue crystal materialized. "I too have brought my crystal along as well in case Nifleheim is attacked while I am away."

Noctis tried to focus on the crystal, seeing if he too could infuse the crystal into himself. Nothing happened.

Lightning placed her hand on her chest, bringing the crystal back. "Only the ruling monarchs are able to have the crystal hidden in them. My sister cannot infuse the crystal in her because I am the one who rules over Bodhum."  
Noctis grunted in slight disappointment. Giovanni touched his shoulder. "When you take the throne then you will be able to do so." Noctis blinked then shoved his father's hand away. "I want none of it." Lightning stood by silently.

A cry caught everyone's attention. They ran out of the tent and gasped in shock. The camp had been set ablaze. Nearby, one of Bodhum's soldiers met his end by the blade of a tall figure in dark armor. The intricate design of his armor gave away exactly what he was. "An Elite?" Fang turned her glare to Noctis. "You led them here didn't you?" "If it weren't for your queen interfering…!" Noctis shot back.

Giovanni barked at them. "Enough! Now is not the time to place blame!" "Right. Everyone, knows what to do!" Lightning said and went off. She charged right into the Elite, knocking him off his feet. He brought out his weapon; a large golden axe and swung at the queen.

Fang and Vanille rushed over to assist the soldiers against the oncoming attacks. Noctis stood by until he noticed his father walking forward. Giovanni's swords materialized around him and he grabbed his own personal blade from the rest. "Go, Noctis. Get as far away as possible from here." He said, looking at the flames that engulfed the camp.

Before Noctis could speak, Giovanni ran forward to Lightning's aid against the Elite.

All around the flames burned the camp and the surrounding trees. Noctis' eyes reflected the flames as his body froze. Memories of that day, memories of the betrayal, of the time when he ended _her_ life with his own blade. Noctis could still recall that day clearly; the choking heat that swarmed around him after he had ended Stella's life. He had been trapped in the fire with no escape. At the time his mind had gone blank in shock and he had considered death.  
He remembered the time he fell to his knees as the fire got worse, until he collapsed with the roaring flames closing in on him. The rest was a blank. When he had awoken his father was there by his side, and he knew that his father had taken him away from the burning temple.

Giovanni was thrown back by the sheer force of the Elite's attack. He grunted and the soreness of his body; his wounds were still in the middle of recovering so he was unsure how long he would last.

Lightning stood in front of him. "Stay back now. Let me fight him." Giovanni tried to protest but the queen let out a whistle, signaling for Fang and Vanille to take Giovanni to safety.  
They did so despite the king's protest. Noctis was frozen in place as he watched the flames and scene go by. Lightning glanced at him. "Noctis if you wish to leave, leave now!" The prince blinked and took a step backwards.

Serah grabbed three arrows and aimed at the Elite. She pulled her arm back then released. The arrows flew fast, striking the elite right in his side, his leg, and shoulder.

Lightning did not miss her chance and raised her hand. A bolt of lightning fell from the heavens, striking down on the Elite. From underneath his armor, the Elite felt as if his skin were being torn off his very bones. He raised his axe but the bolt's power was too much.  
He roared in pain then, in a desperate attempt, he threw his axe at Lightning. The queen moved to the side, narrowly dodging the sharp weapon.

The Elite gasped for breath as he placed his hands on the ground. He began muttering under his breath.

Lightning's eyes widened and she charged at him. However, as soon as the Elite finished his chant, the very earth began to tremble. Noctis grunted as he tried to regain his balance. As soon as everyone managed to regain some of their momentum, the ground beneath them began to split.  
The remaining soldiers of Bodhum, along with their enemies, fell to their doom. Vanille hung onto Fang while Serah had managed to free Odin. The stallion allowed the younger Farron onto his back and raced desperately to Lightning's side.

Noctis felt his feet slip as the ground beneath him gave away. He felt himself fall but stopped. The prince looked up to see Lightning hold onto his wrist. "Let go!" He ordered. Lightning glared at him. "I will not, you fool!" Lightning heaved the prince up to solid ground but as soon as she did, the earth shook again and Lightning found herself struggling to hold onto the ledge.

Noctis stared as Lightning tried to pull herself back up. Suddenly, her hands slipped and before the prince could notice what he was doing, he had morphed into the wolf.  
Lightning slipped from the edge but the wolf grabbed her by the shoulder with his jaws. She winced but managed to bear the pain as the wolf tried pulling her up. Noctis' wolf eyes widened at his sudden actions. _"Why? Why did I…?"_

The Elite laughed and hit the ground with his fists, causing another tremor before he breathed his very last breath. Beneath the wolf, the ground gave way and Lightning and Noctis found themselves tumbling down into the abyss.

Their companions raced to the edge as soon as Odin and Serah did. The stallion neighed in dismay as he saw his queen fall into darkness along with the wolf. Giovanni ran to the edge with Fang and Vanille. Everyone's heart stopped the moment they realized that the queen and prince had disappeared into the fissure.

"_Lightning!"_

"_Noctis!"_

* * *

**It ends here for now.**

**For those of you who were wondering, Lightning's rose crystal does not function the same way as it does in the game. Instead of summoning an eidolon, her crystal is merely an heirloom and Bodhum's crystal itself. The crystals are usually kept hidden but if the monarchs are not sure about its safety during a battle, they will infuse their crystal into themselves as a last resort hiding spot.**

**If a monarch with his crystal infused with him was killed, the enemy would not be able to obtain the crystal because of the two reasons: because they do not know that one can infuse their crystal into them as a way to keep it safe, and also because the crystal only answers to those of pure heart (in the case of the Alliance) or an ally of its master. However, an ally may be able to summon the crystal out and keep it safe for their fallen friend. This will be explained more in future chapters.**

**Once again, Lightning had been hit. This time by an arrow—take another shot of whatever drink you have.**

**But now it seems Noctis has ended up joining her as she fell when he could have just turned his back and escaped by himself. This is a rather new and odd action for him, it even seemed to catch him off guard.**

**I was also asked: "****Since sephiroth attacked Lightning. Does that mean we are expected to see Cloud and Tifa making an appearance in helping light with the oncoming conflict?"**

**Here is your answer: Yes there will be more characters appearing, however if you remember in the chapters way back, Cloud and Tifa along with several other Final Fantasy protagonists have made their brief appearance. You can be sure they will come up again soon along with others who have not come up on stage yet!**

**Again, thank you everyone for reading and enjoying Sanctuaire! You guys have turned this little drabble into a full-length story of its own!**

**Ask any questions that you wish provided that it won't spoil the story, but not to worry I will do my best to answer without spoiling anything. And once more, Happy New Year everyone! Stay awesome and I will see you in the next chapter again!**

**Until then…**


	19. Chapter XIX: Irretitus

**Disclaimer:**** Hey there readers! So I have some things to answer to, I realize. But we will talk about it at the end of the chapter. So first of all enjoy reading, and I will explain a few things at the end.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XIX: ****Irretitus**

Pain. That was all he felt at this very moment. But it was nothing new to him; pain was what ruled his life nowadays.

Slowly, Noctis rose to his feet but his head was pounding terribly. It was as if the tremors had entered his body and up to his skull. He shook his head to relieve himself before he took a look around. It was too dark to see but his eyes soon adjusted and he could see enough.  
It seems the last resort of attack has swallowed most of the camp as he could see the tents, even the corpses of the soldiers. He walked up to the closest corpse and upon closer inspection he could see their armor; the corpses were of those from Bodhum as well as Valhalla and Tenebrae.

"An awful sight…" He muttered. Noctis looked up and his eyes narrowed; he could not see the surface or the light of the surface. How far down had he fallen? A spark and crackle caught his attention.

Noctis moved over to where a faint glow was. He touched a large piece of debris as it stood in his way. With a grunt, he shoved it away to the side.  
Lightning lay beneath large debris, similar to the one he had shoved off. Her body sparked with electrical currents from a thunder spell as she struggled to stand but the debris seemed to crush her. Noctis sighed in exasperation; of all people who had fallen with him into the fissure, it had to be the queen. But he supposed he had something to do with that, and it still confused him.

Without much of a choice, he moved closer to Lightning and tapped her head.

Lightning groaned when she felt something touch her head unceremoniously. She forced herself to look up and faced the prince's eyes in the darkness. She said nothing but continued to force herself to stand, the electric currents still flowing all over her body. Noctis rolled his eyes. "… Save your strength, woman. I doubt you could make your way out of here in your current state."

Lightning grit her teeth and ignored him. Noctis glared at her. "You never pay attention when I speak to you. Is the mighty Queen Farron afraid to be criticized by a prince?" "Shut your mouth." Lightning grunted. "Ah, so she can still speak." Noctis mocked.

Lightning stopped struggling and glared at the prince, the currents around her body began to fade as she ceased her seemingly futile attempts to break free.

Noctis smirked. "It seems the tables have turned." He touched the debris and made a move to remove them from her. Lightning roared in pain and Noctis glanced at her; it seems to be crushing her more than he predicted. "Bear this for a moment, or are you too delicate to do so?" His tone was sarcastic, and doubtful. Lightning growled and held still.  
With a shrug, the prince concentrated and slowly slid the debris off the queen's body. He worked on the second one and Lightning narrowed her eyes, attempting to look at him through the darkness. It if was this dark then they must have fallen quite far.

Once the queen was free, she stumbled to her feet and touched her side. It was bleeding. Noctis stood before her with his arms crossed. Lightning looked around, noticing the corpses of the soldiers; hers and the enemy's. Tragic sight and the tents gave her an idea of just how bad the attack had been.

Lightning dusted her cloak off, being mindful of her wounds. She glanced at Noctis. "… No one else is here?" Noctis pointed upwards. "No, because everyone around us is dead and we are no longer at the surface. At this point, it seems yet again, I am stuck with the likes of you." "Good!" Lightning pulled her arm back and punched Noctis hard.

The prince stumbled back and spat blood at the queen's feet. "What is the matter with you, woman?" Lightning circled him. "I had enough of you, Prince! I have been holding myself back from beating you into oblivion but _this_ is the last straw of my patience with you!"

Noctis threw a punch at her but Lightning sidestepped his attack punched his face once more.

Noctis growled and swiped his leg up at Lightning, hitting her wounded side with a harsh kick. Lightning growled in pain and punched Noctis again. As she hit his cheek, Noctis grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back.  
"Let go!" Lightning struggled against his hold. "So the queen isn't all-mighty as everyone thought, now is she?" He tightened his hold. "Damn you, Prince!" She cursed at him. "I have listened to you for long enough, Queen Farron, and I am tired of you and your 'righteous' ways!" He tightened his hold again.

Lightning stomped on his foot but despite the pain he kept his hold on her. "I am at my wits end with you Prince! I did my best to make sure you returned to your father unscathed, but you have pushed me past my limit of sanity!" She yelled at him, craning her neck back to cast a glare at him.

Noctis grit his teeth at her, a habit his wolf form instilled in him. Lightning's glare made a chill run up his spine, but this time he would not falter under her gaze.

It seemed like forever, with neither of them willing to back down and surrender to the other. Noctis tried to inhale and exhale to calm himself, but Lightning's scent made its way into his senses. He nearly gasped out loud when he glanced at her neck.  
Her skin looked smooth despite how many times people describe her to be rather battle-torn and battle-scarred. And yet he could see the flesh of a woman before his eyes.

With a grunt he tightened his hold on Lightning's wrist. She growled at him. "I did not say anything, you imbecile!" That only made him close to snapping her wrist. With a defeated sigh, Lightning groaned. "… Fine. I apologize!"

Noctis' eyes widened. "What?" "I said…I'm sorry. You are right; I never did allow you to get word out." Lightning stopped struggling altogether. His hold on her loosened. Lightning quickly took her hands away and turned to punch Noctis, sending him flying back.  
He glared at her, prepared for another fight but instead she offered her hand to him. Before he noticed what he did, Noctis accepted her hand and she assisted him up to his feet. "Do not get me wrong Prince; I still despise you for the misery you have put us all in."

"And I despise you for being in my way at every turn." Noctis shot back. Lightning held her wounded side. "You think I did that out of choice? Did you forget? I made a promise to your father to make sure you make it back to Nifleheim alive. But you are making it difficult for me; I have considered ending you myself." Lightning snapped at him.

Noctis smirked smugly at her. "So it seems the queen is not as sweet-tempered as everyone thought, now is she?" Lightning resisted the urge to punch him again. "Did you think I was? I can hold myself back, Prince but I do have my limit and now you have crossed the line!" "How frightening…" Noctis mocked in a sarcastic tone.

Lightning glared at him icily then rewarded him with a backhanded slap. The prince snarled. "You insolent…!" "No! _You_ are the insolent one! Rushing head on into danger, not even considering your own life or others around you! I am tired of your recklessness, Prince!"  
"Good then! Maybe now I should tell you that I cannot stand you and how you simply think everything will go your way! Just because you hold the rank of queen it does not make you some godlike entity!"

"I at least have more sense to think things through, Prince!"

"Noctis! I told you that my name is _Noctis_! Stop referring to me as prince."

"Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm of being allowed to call you by your first name once again."

"It seems that the queen of Bodhum is not as wonderful as she appears to be."

"Did you expect any different?"

"So you do not deny that what people say about your glorious self may be nothing more than exaggeration?"

"What point is there to accept or deny? I do my duty as queen, nothing more. I never wished to be queen!"

Noctis raised an eyebrow in amusement. "What is this? A deep confession from the queen?" Lightning clenched her fist. "I took the throne because I had no choice. I was only a _child_! How did you think I felt when they all said I would take the throne before I even became a woman?"  
"It is always about you isn't it? What about me? No one cared for my pain when I lost—" Lightning pinched his nose hard, cutting off his breathing in the middle of his monologue.  
Noctis smacked her hand away and gasped for air. Lightning made a twirling gesture with her pointing finger. "I already said that many cared for you, _Prince_. You just refused to take a good look. As for me…they celebrated my coronation, not even stopping to consider how a child of fifteen would feel if she is forced to work day and night with nearly no rest."

"So you would rather continue life as a child rather than tend to your duties." Noctis stated. Lightning huffed. "It is too late for that! I have ruled over Bodhum for six years now! My days as a child are all but gone!"

Noctis laughed. "Ironic how the very same queen everyone deemed as the perfect ruler is nothing more than a young girl who wishes to turn back the clock just so she may avoid the duties of a queen." "I find your lack of humbleness and sympathy rather disturbing." Lightning said in a dangerous, low voice. Noctis pressed a finger against Lightning's forehead, hard. It made her stumble back slightly, causing her wounds to sting.

"Well now it seems you are no better than I am, Lightning Farron." He felt rather smug now.

Lightning growled and turned on her heels. The prince stared. "Where do you think you are going?" "Finding a way out of this chasm." She said without looking back at him.  
Noctis went after her. "You don't even know where you are going!" "Then do _you_?" Lightning retorted, giving him a look. Noctis looked around silently. "That's what I thought." Lightning said and Noctis cursed her under his breath.

"I may not know where to go next, but I doubt you have any better plan."

"I swear, Noctis… If I had not promised your father that I would make sure that you make it home well and whole, I would castrate you here and now!" Lightning snarled, "But no… I can't do that, because I promised." Noctis snorted. "How touching." Lightning rolled her eyes at him.

Suddenly the ground began shaking slightly. The two looked at each other doubtfully. "If you think I did something, then you are wrong." Noctis growled at her. Lightning matched his expression. "Well so are you." It seems that something was approaching them. Something large if it was able to make everything shake. Noctis sighed tiredly. "I have had enough shaking in my lifetime." "Something we can agree on, Prince." Lightning said, regaining her balance once Noctis did.

The shaking stopped for a moment before starting again, this time the trembling was a lot faster.

The prince and queen looked towards the dark distance and took a step back cautiously but stopped when in the dark they spotted a single glowing red eye.  
A hissing growl made its way into their ears as the creature slithered forward towards the two monarchs. Lightning summoned her blade. "A basilisk?" The large serpentine creature neared them even more even as they took a step back. Even in the dark, Noctis and Lightning would easily see it's towering figure.

"This cannot be happening…!" Lightning groaned in exasperation. The basilisk hissed, sticking its forked tongue out at its supposed prey. Once its entire body was in view, Lightning easily recognized its strain. "This is a _Spiran_ variety! Why is it here close to Bodhum?"

The serpent moved its body about and swung its tail at its prey. Lightning moved instantly to shove the prince out of the way. "Noctis…!" The tail struck her midsection, sending the queen flying into the walls of the chasm. Lightning gasped in pain as her wound began bleeding once more. The basilisk slithered over to her, intending to take her life.  
Noctis jumped in front of Lightning, blocking her from the beast's sights. He eyed the creature wearily. "I have gone through enough misery to last me a lifetime… Now you had to come into the scene, and just in time."

The prince's eyes began to fade from its dark blue to an intimidating red. The basilisk stuck its tongue out again.

Noctis glared at the beast and his swords materialized around him. Unable to wait until it had its prey, the basilisk charged at the prince. Noctis' crimson eyes narrowed and within a second the basilisk fell to the ground, in its own vile blood. The swords around the prince slowed down slightly, revealing each of their blades to be soaked in the basilisk's blood.  
He dismissed the weapons before turning to the queen. Lightning clutched her side painfully as blood seeped out of her wound. Noctis looked around them once more. "Can you still stand?"

In response, Lightning stumbled to her feet which made the pain attack her senses even more but she ignored it.

Noctis led her to where most of the tents have fallen with them into the fissure. Lightning's eyes widened when she realized they had found the armory tent. Urgently, she searched for her armor and found it amongst the clutter of weapons and armor.  
She sighed in relief when the flask was still attached to the faulds of her armor. She snatched it up and uncorked the flask before gulping down whatever liquid was inside.

Noctis eyed her oddly. Lightning sighed in relief when she drank enough and felt that she still had some left to last her. _"I need to be more cautious from here on…"_

"What is you are drinking that made you so attached to that flask?" Noctis questioned suspiciously. Lightning glared at him then cleared her throat. "It is none of your concern." She tied the flask to her side before bending down to touch her armor.  
Noctis watched as a pinkish glow emitted from her chest and her silver armor began to fade. The queen stood back up and looked around the destroyed tent, searching for any stable weapons. "What did you do just now?" She glanced at the prince upon hearing his question. "I merely took my armor back. Or do you mean to say you had no idea I could easily materialize it on my body?"

"You never did so before." He said with a shrug. Lightning inspected some of the swords she found. "That was because there was no reason for me to rush. But now in this situation I would not have time to simple strip myself of my armor by hand; simply summoning it onto me would make my life easier. A small mercy, but it works."

After another long moment of silence, Lightning shoved a sword inside its sheath into Noctis' hands. He looked at her questioningly.

"If we do manage to escape this place, I think it would be best that we resort to simple weapons. It may save us our strength." She explained. Noctis chuckled bitterly. "You expected me to come with you?" "Not at all. In fact you may take your leave of me if you wish; because at this very moment I no longer have patience for you. I have held back my own urge to deal with you in the most uncivilized way. But of course, how could I when my sister and everyone else were there?" Lightning glared at Noctis through the darkness.

To her puzzlement, he laughed. Although it was a rather bitter sound coming from him.

"Well now, this is a rich discovery. The queen would actually stop caring for another's life should they cross the line she has drawn." Noctis felt that the tables have finally turned in his favor. "… Say what you wish. I could not care any less for what you think of me. But even though I may not wish to have you accompany me this time, I know I will never hear the end of it from nearly everyone." Lightning strapped her own chosen sword onto her back before looking at him again. "We shall settle this once and for all now."

"So you intend to challenge me." Noctis said, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

Lightning walked until she was standing directly in front of Noctis. "I know you have wanted this for a long time, Prince. Well, there is nobody to judge our behavior now, is there. Come fight me if you still wish it." Noctis grit his teeth in a wolfish grin. "Perfect. I suppose now I have the opportunity to show you how much I despise your constant presence." "By all means. Because I have the same thing to show you!" Lightning cracked her knuckles; a habit that the servants fear and that the council disliked so much.

Noctis snorted at her. He kept his eyes on her and on her feet, anticipating her movements.

Lightning narrowed her eyes; she sensed something was different about him now. He was concentrating, watching for her movements. She knew he was trying to predict how she intended to fight him. For a long moment, none of them moved.  
Finally, Noctis charged at her and that was all opportunity she needed. Lightning jumped over him, avoiding his tackle but within that second, she moved her body to the side, barely dodging one of the prince's swords.

Incredible. It seems that he did have some fight in him. Lightning touched her wound gingerly and hoped it would not affect her performance, because impressive or not she did not intend to lose to the prince. Not now, not ever.

Noctis called the sword he had launched back to him then aimed another at Lightning. Despite the painful wound on her side the queen showed elegance and speed when she dodged.  
At this rate it would be hard to land a blow on her with how well she avoided what he had thrown at her. He ran up to her again and when she launched herself over his head like the first time, Noctis morphed into the black wolf. He snapped his jaws at her, nearly grabbing her hair.

Lightning huffed and touched her bangs, sliding her fingers through them. Several strands came loose and she flicked them away.

In retaliation she kicked the prince's feet the instant he turned back into a human, sending him landing on his backside. Noctis quickly got to his feet, attempting to land his own kick to Lightning's abdomen in the process.  
She herself backwards, once again avoiding the hit, but her wound reacted negatively to her actions. She winced but forced herself to continue.

Noctis had observed her movements and despite himself he had to admit that the queen was rather skilled; she was careful not to use the same technique twice or too often lest it gave her away, and she moved fast, and her eyes were focused and steady. She was fast, faster than him. But if that was so then perhaps he would be stronger. He could tell Lightning was a balanced fighter which was why her power, speed, and magic seemed equal with each other. He just needed to find an opening.

Lightning ran at him, her fist covered in lightning bolts. Noctis ducked underneath her punch then grabbed her wrist. She used her free hand and pressed it against his face, electrifying and stunning him which caused the prince to let go of her.

Noctis shook his head until the electrical currents faded. He glared at the queen then glanced down at her wound, and then he looked at her face again. She seemed to be struggling, and obviously hiding how painful the wound was. The prince felt something strike him. He did not wait and went after Lightning once more. He summoned his swords and had them charge at the young monarch.

Lightning was swift and nimble as she jumped out of every swords way. Seeing his chance, Noctis summoned one more blade and threw it up at her.

She twirled in the air, sending the blade off into another direction. But the moment the sword struck solid rock, Lightning heard a faint static-like sound from behind her. She turned her body and her eyes widened when she was faced with Noctis.  
The second Lightning had deflected his sword; Noctis had teleported himself behind her to gain the upper hand. He grabbed her neck with one hand and with the other, he struck her wound. Lightning roared in pain as both of them began hurtling back down onto the ground.

The collusion sent small pieces of debris flying. Noctis jumped out of the cloud of dust then turned around to look at his opponent. Lightning held her side painfully and looked at her hand; it was covered in blood once more. If this kept up she may die of blood loss, and she was not willing to die down in this dark fissure.

However, as soon as she was on her feet again, Noctis was already in front of her face. He sent a blow to her abdomen and Lightning was flung into the air and crashed into even more debris.

Lightning struggled to move but her wound began protesting until the pain was all her mind could register. She grits her teeth at the pain and her shoulders shook when she tried to force herself to stand one more time.  
Noctis approached her and looked down on her. "I win." Lightning grunted and lowered her head to the ground, surrendering. Noctis crossed his arms. "How does it feel, Queen Farron? This is how much I went through for three long years, only for more pain to be added to it because of you ordering me about like I was one of your subjects. You have no authority over me, Lightning."

Noctis turned and retrieved the sword she had given him to use and walked away from her.

Lightning slid her body up somewhat until she was able to lean back against a smooth piece of debris. She was tired, she always had been, but she had forced herself to go on despite the pain she felt. It was everyone had always expected of her; to be strong, to be the perfect example of a ruler. At first she had done it only show that she was not weak, but as time had come and gone she realized she did love Bodhum as much as her mother and father had. But at the back of her mind, she still felt the despair that had been in her heart since the passing of her parents and her sudden coronation.

The prince had hit her abdomen hard, she realized. She was sore there now. Lightning coughed and with a shaky hand, she took out the flask once more. She hated how unsteady her hands were as she removed the cork.

Noctis stopped upon hearing the queen and turned to look at her. She was coughing hard and drinking from her flask once again. He raised an eyebrow; had he hit her too hard? He did not think he did. But with the way the young queen was coughing, perhaps he did.  
His chest tightened when her coughing grew louder and she took another sip from whatever she was drinking again. With a resigned sigh, the prince returned to Lightning's side. He was not sure what possessed him to take pity on the queen when she did nothing but cause him misery.

Lightning glanced up at him and glared weakly. "Leave me be, Prince…and let me rest for now."

Noctis watched her. "You intend to stay here on your own?" "What more do you want from me, Prince? You won against me! Do you still wish to finish it? If that is what you wish, then do so now! If you have nothing else to say then leave!" She coughed again.  
He did wish to finally leave her behind, but she looked terrible and their fight had only seemed to make it worse. Though Noctis could not regret finally showing her his anger.

Noctis reached down, offering his hand to her. Lightning stared at his hand then at him. She felt strange, almost uneasy. This was beginning to happen often whenever the prince was involved.

Instead of taking his hand, Lightning struggled to stand. Once she was on her feet she nearly lost her balance but leaned against the debris and straightened herself. She tied her flask onto her side before walking up to Noctis.  
The prince stepped back to allow her more space. He felt his heel touch something and he looked down. Curiously, the prince bent over to brush the dirt off the object until he was able to determine what it was. He picked it up and stared; it was Lightning's book. _Fabula Nova Crystallis_. He had no idea what it meant because he never learned the ancient language, never thought he needed to. The only thing he knew was that the book was an amazing piece of work and he enjoyed reading it.

Noctis glanced at Lightning then at the book. He recalled back on the surface in camp, his father had mentioned how King Adonis Farron, the late father of Lightning Farron, would read this particular book to his daughter. Unable to find it in him to deny someone of their treasure, he pats Lightning's shoulder and showed her the book.

The female monarch took the book into her hands carefully and stroked the cover. It was a bit dirty but still whole. The look in her eyes made Noctis' heart fall; it seems the queen did cherish something, no matter how small.

When they both regained their composure, Noctis led the way and Lightning walked beside him, silent. Neither of them spoke throughout their journey through the dark paths, neither saw any reason to speak. The whole time, Lightning stared at the book in her hands until a sharp sting from her wound disoriented her. She stumbled and fell to the ground, landing on her scarred face.

Noctis watched as she touched her side and growled at her weakness. She got to her feet and stumbled beside the prince as they went on.

The farther they went, the more Lightning seemed to be losing strength. She looked as if she wanted to drink from her flask again but she stopped herself every time. The paths seemed to be growing darker but Noctis knew if the worst came, his wolf form will be able to see clearly in the dark without any problems. He would then have to guide the young queen around the darkness.

Lightning's movements had slowed down more than ever. Noctis felt his heart leap into his throat for some odd reason. Unable to think of any other solution, the prince turned into the wolf.  
Before the queen could take notice of what was happening, she felt herself being lifted up onto the black wolf's back. This surprised her but she did not say a word.

Her weight on his back did not faze the large wolf whatsoever, and he carried on with ease. The paws of the wolf helped Noctis move along the rocks and pebbles faster than his human feet could. The darker it became, the colder it got. His fur was the perfect solution to that and Lightning still had her cloak so she did not voice any sort of worry.

Suddenly, Noctis felt Lighting collapse on his back. He stopped for a moment and craned his neck to look back at her. Lightning's face was buried against the fur of his neck and her one hand was clutching onto it while her other hand still held onto her book. It seems she had finally given in to the exhaustion she had been fighting against all this time. The wolf faced forward again and continued on the journey.

Soon Noctis began to feel Lightning shiver but he continued to walk onwards, knowing it would be best the sooner they find an escape route. But the moment he felt something wet touch his neck, he looked back at the sleeping queen and was caught off guard.

Lightning Farron was crying.

* * *

**I will end it here for now.**

**This chapter was actually written along with chapter 18 but I decided to wait for the next day so you guys would not be overloaded with too many chapters at once. Also for that reason this chapter is not too long since it is mostly showing what will be going on from now on.**

**Also I would like to answer a few of your concerns. One of you has stated that you think Lightning is too perfect, even literally godlike. I admit, yes I did make her seem that way on purpose but it was not because I am biased to Lightning.**

**The reason for her "perfection" and lack of flaws was because I was depicting her in a way that many people in the story see her as. Also as queen she has to play part as the perfect role model for her people, and of course she has to be powerful since it plays a part in her role. But as you just saw in this chapter, even she can lose in a fight.**

**Lightning did not show any signs of flaws because like she herself had mentioned in this chapter, there would be others to judge her and Noctis both, but now since they are stuck together without anyone else, Lightning has finally allowed her top to blow and she struck Noctis in the face. So basically Lightning was trying keep up her show of being a good ruler in front of people but finally decided to put the mask down when she realized it was only her and Noctis.**

**Also you expressed how Lightning is all perfect because she does not seem to blame Noctis. Well she is upset with him at times but she does not have the freedom to express just how much she wishes to sock him one.**

**Aside from that, I have actually been hinting at Lightning's flaws in several chapters now. It is kind of discreet so some reading between the lines is necessary.**

**I also think that characters who are too perfect are boring as well but I had kept Lightning seemingly flawless so that once we had reached this very moment, I can finally let her cut loose. And it is safe to say that her Final Fantasy XIII persona will be shining through once in a while.**

**So I guess you have caught me at the right time because I had planned this for some time now. And like I said in previous chapters, Sactuaire has already been planned out.**

**Now about Noctis seeming weak and not a "powerhouse" has something to do with his attitude. If you have noticed in the chapters so far he just rushed into a fight without even thinking. Even if he is ferocious or strong, he cannot possibly win if he runs heads in recklessly, which is why Noctis seems "weak". He is not weak, it is only because he charges in blindly like a madman without thinking and disregarding his own life, he always seems to easily lose because of that.**

**However Noctis has mentioned several times already that he prefers death. So another reason for him seeming weak is not only because he goes out into the field blind, he also in a way hopes to end his own life. But I am not saying that makes him a terrible person exactly; just reckless and foolish.**

**As you have seen with Lightning after she lost against Nocits for the first time, it may not have been exactly stated but she values her pride so when Noctis actually beat her, she not only felt a little disgraced but she also got to remembering why she was in this situation in the first place.**

**Being made into a queen at a young age, Lightning has gotten used to trying to meet everyone's expectations so she may become easily upset if she ever lost a fight. She still has a bad temper in a way but like I said before, she holds it back. Because who would want to follow their ruler if they seem to act like a bad-tempered child?**

**Both of them have reasons for being as they are **_**so far**_**. But Sanctuaire is far from over so I can only ask for you guys to be a bit patient.**

**I hope that it answers your concerns. I did not intend for them to be super perfect or super horrible. They have gone through something in their life that made them the way they are and their current attitude is the only way they know how to deal with everything.**

**Aside from that, one of you also guessed that Lightning has to be perfect because she is queen and that she seems to always jump in to save Noctis because of Giovanni. **

**Well yes, you are correct. Because as I stated previously, Lightning has to be a role model for her country so she has to act as a beacon of perfection but in truth she dislikes it from time to time, and yes Giovanni is the main reason Lightning wants to make sure Noctis is safe from harm. **

**But is that the **_**only**_** reason? We will have to wait and see.**

**I also would like to say thank you for your creative criticism! I actually liked how you expressed what you thought and what you felt about the characters. It made me want to write some more actually so I commend you for expressing something you felt and I hope I managed to settle the concerns you have.**

**I really do love writing and as a writer, receiving creative criticism from a reader is most helpful and gives me an idea on how to improve. So once again, thank you. And that goes for everyone else as well for simply reading and enjoying to your heart's content.**

**As always ask questions if something confuses you or if you need confirmation about something you are unsure of. I will do my best to answer while avoiding spoilers.**

**Until then…**


	20. Chapter XX: Refugium

**Disclaimer:**** How's it going readers! So here we are once again with more Sanctuaire. I'm glad everyone still seems to enjoy.**

**I am surprised at how far this drabble story went! For those of you who have read Chronicles, you all remember that Sanctuaire started off as a little drabble titled "Lonely Queen". Now look at it! A story of its own and its growing and I am just loving how much I can write!**

**For those who miss Chronicles, do not worry. I am still working on it but I have not been having any new ideas to put in it yet. I am thinking of continuing one of the arcs again but we will see how it goes.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XX: Refugium**

It felt like days or perhaps weeks since they last set off in an attempt to escape the dark fissure they had fallen in. Noctis could not remember the last time he had stopped to rest, but his wolf form was resilient and the long and seemingly endless journey did not bother him too much.  
However, Lightning seemed worse for wear; she had been sleeping for a long time now and was frequently shivering.

The prince would look over at his back to check on her but her eyes never opened. Had she truly spent all of her strength during their fight?

Noctis was rather surprised that the queen had managed to hold on to her book even though she had been clearly knocked out cold for what felt like perhaps a day or two.  
He thought of checking on her wound; she had not tended to it yet but if worst came to worst a cure spell would purify anything harming the wound. But so far the queen showed no signs of pain but merely exhaustion.

Throughout the whole journey Noctis kept his senses on high alert, hoping to catch a whiff of fresh air or vegetation; that would mean they were now close to escaping wherever it was they are. The feeling of thirst invaded the wolf's senses but he pressed on, ignoring the urge to run off to find something to drink. He thought of the flask Lightning had with her, but with the way the young monarch kept drinking from it he suspected it might be something only she is allowed to take, and no one else was.

He pushed the thought back and trotted through even more darkness. At this rate he was sure that the sun or moon would burn his eyes once he looked into their light.

His nose picked up a faint smell of something refreshing. He hoped to Etro it would lead him to a way out of this dark place. The wolf broke into a run, slightly mindful that the queen was still unconscious on his back.  
As he ran, he heard a thump and stopped. The wolf turned to see the book had finally dropped from Lightning's hands. With a sigh, the wolf picked the book up on his jaws then turned back around and continued to follow the smell that had invaded his senses.

He felt Lightning's body rock up and down on his back as he went but he was careful enough to make sure that she remained there.

The smell grew stronger and soon the wolf's ears picked up the sounds of water. But before he could move any farther, he felt Lightning stir. The prince stopped and looked back at her. The queen was moving slowly as if she had gained a headache from drinking too much at a tavern. She pressed a hand to her head and shook her head slightly.  
"Where…?" "Has the queen finally awoken from her slumber?" Noctis could not help the sarcastic and bitter tone he had in his voice. Though he oddly regretted it instantly. Instead of retort back with her own vulgarities, Lightning looked around and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Everything came back to her.

She looked down at her wound and inwardly winced at the ugly sight. Noctis noticed as well then sighed.

Lightning slid off his back and placed a hand on her wound. Noctis nudged her with his wet nose and handed her the book. Lightning held onto it then nodded at him thankfully. She then turned her attention back to her wound and touched it gingerly. A faint light glowed under her hand but it faded as soon as it appeared. The queen cursed and Noctis' head tilted to the side curiously. He watched as Lightning continued to try and heal her wound, but her cure spells seems to fail her every time.

The wolf morphed back into the man and approached the frustrated young queen. "Hold still." He ordered and placed a hand on her side. Lightning froze and stiffened when he touched her.  
Noctis stared at his hand and at once a similar light began to glow. Lightning could feel the warmth and gentle healing of the cure spell emitting from the prince's hand. The man was frustrating to deal with, and now he was confusing her more than ever.

Noctis was unsure himself; what had possessed him to even offer a cure spell to Lightning when he had intended to save every bit of power he had in him? He glanced up at her and noticed her rather puzzled expression. He turned back to his task then pulled his hand away when the wound disappeared completely, leaving only the bloodstains behind.

Lightning touched her side carefully then looked up at Noctis as he stood. "… Thank you." She said in a low voice. Noctis shrugged. "I want to avoid being slowed down." The queen nodded. "Understandable." This time she walked beside him when he turned into the wolf and went onwards.

Without the wound to hinder her now, Lightning was moving fast and effectively as she was before. Noctis said not a word to her and she did the same to him.

Though he had not told her about the smells and sounds that had reached him, Lightning seemed to understand why he was moving so hurriedly. She was either patient or she found no rush, he was not sure. The two continued and Lightning maneuvered around the rough, dark terrain with the greatest of ease, not even stumbling once.  
The wolf tried not to snort indignantly and instead kept his eyes forward, to where he hoped the exit to this dreaded and cold place was. So far nothing had appeared out of the shadows to attack them and Noctis wanted to keep it that way.

"I assume you found our exit, Prince?"

"… In a way. I smelled something."

"I see."

"And I told you before; my name is _Noctis_."

"Fine. Noctis."

The prince groaned but said no more. If she planned on traveling with him then she should at least refer to him by name rather than the status he wanted to disown since his loss.  
Lightning had said she never wished to be queen, and yet she was every bit of the monarch everyone wishes to be. Noctis inwardly cursed; he knew his curiosity was what caused him to run into trouble at times. He resisted his urges of wonder when it came to Queen Farron.

Along the way they began to feel a slight draft blowing in their faces. Lightning and Noctis exchanged looks then ran onward.

The breeze was getting stronger as they continued to follow it. This could mean they were finally close to leaving the fissure. They did not stop for even a second, eager to be out in the sun or perhaps underneath the moon's rays. Either way would do as long as they were out of the fissure.

Soon enough even Lightning was able to smell the water just as Noctis had. To them, quenching their thirst in cold clear water would be a godsend. The breeze was even stronger now and as they closed in on the source, they could see more darkness.  
They slowed down and treaded cautiously. When they seemed to have reached the end, Noctis' paw slipped from the edge and touched soft grass. Lightning looked around and felt relief claim her mind.

They were finally out and somehow the path they had taken had led them towards an exit to a cave. How oddly fortunate of them.

Noctis raised his head and sniffed for the source of water. He looked to the side and spotted it; a spring full of fresh flowing water welcomed his very eyes.  
Lightning followed him as she observed the night sky above them. "It is late. How long have we been in that dark place?" She questioned. Noctis lapped up water with his wolf tongue before lifting his head to look at her. "I have lost track of time while we were in there. There was no light for me to determine."

The queen sighed and kneeled at the edge, scooping up water in her hands and sipping it. The wetness was most welcoming to her dry throat.

The wolf watched silently as the queen splashed the cold water onto her scarred face. He noticed how the scars seemed to become fainter day by day. Perhaps that healing salve truly was closing off the scars like she had said; it was now almost unnoticeable.  
As drops of water slid down her face, Noctis was tempted to ask her why she had been crying before. However, she had been sleeping heavily so it was probable that she would not even remember why she cried, or even that she cried at all. He could only guess that she had been dreaming of home, or maybe her sister.

Noctis morphed back into a man and rolled his shoulders tiredly. He looked around, trying to see if anything should look familiar to him.

He narrowed his eyes and he walked off a few paces. Something in the air smelled slightly familiar. He walked on a bit father then found himself looking upon a shape in the distance. His eyes widened in recognition. He knew this place. He knew that shape off in the distance as he had seen it before. It was the settlement he had rested in before a messenger had called for him to return to Bodhum.

Lightning sat by the water and watched the prince in silence. He seemed rather observant and well at home out in the wilderness. It was no surprise to her since he always gobbled about how he wanted to remain out in the wild.

He returned to the spot beside her. "I know this area. There is a settlement a few steps from here; I have been there before. Not too long ago in fact." "Indeed?" Lightning stood up, looking at him inquiringly. The prince nodded and gestured behind him. "It might be best if we stay there for a while. The people in that settlement are rather generous."  
Lightning nodded and allowed him to lead. Sure enough she could see the place he had been referring to and mentally felt another bolt of relief in her. Perhaps the prince's running around could prove useful after all, in a way.

Noctis and Lightning entered the settlement. Those who were walking about that evening stopped and seemed to recognize Noctis from before. They greeted him back warmly as he went off towards the inn with Lightning in tow.

The innkeeper seemed pleased to see him again. "Welcome back, friend! My, who is this? A friend?" He looked at Lightning, obviously impressed with her form. She seemed rather tall and sturdy unlike most women who were delicate and soft.  
"Two rooms. I will be taking the room that I had used before." Noctis said, dropping whatever gil he had left in his cloak. The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It is not trouble at all if you wish to…" "She sleeps away from me." Noctis could not help the rude tone in his voice and headed off upstairs to where the rooms were.

The innkeeper looked at Lightning and she shrugged. "He appears to despise me. Not that it is anything new." The man rubbed the back of his neck. "That fellow was more cheery when he first came here. Perhaps the message that messenger boy had brought along had affected him…?"

Lightning could guess what that meant. It was likely that Lord Giovanni had sent a messenger to Noctis in order to bring him back to Bodhum. That would explain why Noctis had been with Serah when they found Lightning in that hunter's village.  
The young queen sighed. "I suppose I should turn in…" The innkeeper nodded. "Yes, of course. Ah, your room will be the one across from your friend's."

Lightning headed up the stairs in silence. She could see one of the doors was slightly open and when she peeked through the crack she could see Noctis pacing. Since this was his room… She looked behind her and guessed that the room behind that door was hers.  
She entered the room and closed the door behind her. She sat on the bed provided and felt herself slouch. She felt tired but she could not find the will to sleep at the moment; she had slept for so long back in the fissure with Noctis carrying her on the wolf's back.

Unable to think of anything else to do, Lightning allowed her mind to wander for several moments…

_-XIII-_

"_Is this not wonderful, Daughter?" King Adonis praised the palace of Nibelheim as he and his family walked through its halls._

_Lightning had been young then. So young—only five years of age. However she did find the castle of another country rather fascinating ; it was much more different than her own home in Bodhum, including the armor of the soldiers. Serah held her hand and pressed close to her side at all times while their father and mother led them around._

_A soldier stopped and saluted the king and queen of Bodhum. "Lord Strife has been expecting you, Lord Adonis." The king nodded and followed the soldier until the royal family of Bodhum stopped in front of two large doors. Voices could be heard debating inside.  
A moment later, someone emerged from the room when the doors opened. A man, a young man with gold hair that stood up in such a way that it was spiked, stepped out from the council room and turned to the king of Bodhum._

"_Lord Cloud! How fares you?"_

"_Lord Adonis…"_

_The king of Nibelheim was a lot younger than the eldest princess had expected; she had expected the king to be just like her father, but instead he looked like an adolescent, and in a way, he was. King Cloud Strife of Nibelheim was a young man of nineteen, having managed to win back his kingdom from Midgar at age sixteen, and only began to officially rule at age seventeen._

"_I hear your queen has returned." Adonis said with a smile. Cloud flushed slightly. "Yes. Two days ago; today is our first morning as man and wife…" The young king was blushing like a virgin. Adonis laughed lightly. "And where may this fair maiden of yours be?" "She is somewhere about…" Cloud replied. Because of Lightning's young age at the time she could not understand exactly what they were talking about. Beside her Serah began to yawn sleepily so her mother took her in her arms.  
While her parents were distracted, the eldest princess crept away, exploring more of the foreign palace out of curiosity._

_She walked down the halls, looking at how the art differed from her Bodhum's. She was young but she knew the difference between two things._

_The sounds of grunting and thudding caught the princess's attention. It sounded as if someone were fighting. If so then she wanted to see what was happening. She ran towards the sounds and stopped when she realized where she was. Her palace had a similar place and it was where the soldiers would go to train. So this was Nibelheim palace's training grounds. Still curious about the sounds she heard, the princess looked about until she spotted the source._

_A woman, about the king's age, had her fists raised. Her eyes were focused on one of the training dummies made of straw. For a moment all was still and silent until the woman suddenly moved and struck the dummy with a furious kick, sending its upper body flying off.  
The eldest princess of Bodhum stared in wonder. The woman was strong, her hair was dark and long, and her bosom was one that men would die to touch, but with power like hers, not even the craziest man should dare come near her if his mind was set on such an intention._

_The woman exhaled and wiped sweat off her forehead. She placed her hands on her hips, looking pleased with herself._

_Feeling like she was being watched, the woman looked towards the princess's direction. The woman's eyes were the color of red wine, and they were lovely to behold. The woman approached the princess, got down on her knees to reach the child's eye level.  
"Where did you come from little one?" The princess looked towards where she had come from. The woman followed her gaze. "From inside? Where are your mother and father?" The child merely looked at the straw dummy that had been destroyed. "How do you do that?"_

_The woman looked back at the straw man that now lay in two pieces. "It is a part of my training. Why? Do you want to know how?" The child nodded._

_Before the woman could speak, someone called out to the little girl. The princess turned and saw her mother and father approaching her with Serah in tow. The youngest princess was rubbing her eyes sleepily. The woman smiled when she saw King Cloud following behind the family.  
She walked towards him until their noses touched. The eldest princess tilted her head at the odd gesture._

"_There you are, Daughter. What made you run off like that?" Adonis said gently, taking hold of the princess's hand. "I see you have met Queen Tifa as well."_

_Tifa turned and smiled. "So you're the eldest princess of Bodhum. No wonder you looked rather familiar." Cloud chuckled and placed an arm around his queen. "It seems like this is not the first time she wandered off I take it." Adonis shook his head. "She is quite curious at times; it was no surprise she could explore, especially if the place is new to her."  
Tifa smiled at the eldest princess. "Cloud has told me about you. And I am glad for that; I only came back three days ago. I wish I could have seen you when you were an infant."_

"_Why didn't you?" The rather smart question surprised the king and queen of Nibelheim. Tifa chuckled. "I had to finish my training first. In fact, this is my first day as the new queen. I must admit I am rather nervous." Cloud pressed a kiss to Tifa's temple reassuringly.  
Adonis' queen smiled warmly. "I am sure you will make a fine queen. After all, we have heard much of how you helped Lord Cloud accomplish all that he has… General Lockhart."_

_Tifa blushed at the title. "I take no credit, Lady Farron. I only did what I must."_

_The eldest princess became somewhat confused. Seeing her expression, Adonis picked his daughter up and explained, "Queen Tifa is not just a queen, my daughter. She is also general of Nibelheim's army; the very first woman to ever become general or a soldier for that matter, and the first monarch to hold two roles."  
The queen of Nibelheim shook her head. "I am no monarch…I merely earned the rank, but I was not born in it." "No matter. You are one of the monarchy now; and it was well-deserved, Lady Strife." Adonis said. Lightning's young mind had registered one thing; she wanted to learn what Lady Strife had been doing. When she questioned her, Tifa said, "Ah…it was a part of my training with my master, Zangan. I need to train nearly every day in order to grow stronger."_

"_Can I learn to be strong as well?"_

"_Of course. I assume your father has chosen you to rule Bodhum in the future since you are the eldest daughter."_

"_Can you teach me?"_

_Her request startled her parents. "Daughter! What Lady Strife knows is dangerous for someone of your age!" The queen said, patting her eldest daughter's arm. Serah looked up at her sister, puzzled. Lightning had been determined to learn all that she could so she had continued asking until Queen Tifa had agreed. Surprisingly._

"_It is not a bother, really. I believe Master Zangan's ways deserve to be taught and shared with others. And anyway, I began my training when I was about your daughter's age. I was six years old to be precise but that is not too far off." She held a hand out to the eldest princess and the child placed her smaller hand in Tifa's._

"_If you wish to learn what I have, then you must remember a few things first. One is that you must use your abilities to protect and defend. Never strike someone who is innocent or someone who wishes only to provoke you. You will learn discipline and how to calm your mind and move swiftly… Are you willing to go through that?" Tifa said, looking at the princess. The child nodded eagerly. "Very well. I had just finished my own training so I cannot do it today. But if I am not mistaken, you and your family are staying here for the night?"_

_The king and queen of Bodhum nodded at her inquiry. Tifa grinned. "That settles it. Tomorrow morning we can begin. We can also continue whenever you visit. Does that sound fitting to you?" Bodhum's eldest princess nodded. "Yes."_

_-XIII-_

Lightning stared at her hands. How long had that been? It felt like yesterday, almost. She did not regret asking Queen Tifa to train her in hand-to-hand combat; it had been very much useful throughout the years as Lightning had noticed.

She could not help but recall the age when Lord Cloud and Tifa came to rule. Lord Cloud had been ruling over his kingdom starting at the age of seventeen after he, with the assistance of the resistance named Avalanche, had defeated the army of Midgar. It would have been easier if it had been the Shinra royal family they were fighting. But instead, Sephiroth, general of Valhalla's army had taken the throne, and due to his Lord Caius' offer the kingdom of Midgar became his to rule.

Lord Cloud was nineteen years of age when Lightning first saw him, and Lady Tifa had been eighteen.

Lightning sighed; it seems she was still the youngest among the monarchs, having ruled at an age younger than the others did. There were times when Lightning was not sure whether to feel lucky or frustrated. But there was no point in wondering anymore.  
Standing up, still feeling restless, Lightning positioned herself. Lady Tifa's voice entered her head; she still recalled that time when she trained with the queen of Nibelheim. The memory was always as clear as day.

Noctis stepped out of his room but stopped when he heard light grunts coming from the room across from his. He peeked inside carefully only to find Lightning training a hand-to-hand combat move set. He recognized those attacks for there was only one person who could use them, and that was Tifa Strife of Nibelheim. Strange that Lightning knew those movements very well.  
He shrugged and thought nothing of it. He had now lost the mood to wander outside now and instead decided it would be best to head off to bed now.

Tomorrow was surely to be more unpredictable.

* * *

**I'm going to end it here for now you guys.**

**Okay first of all I want you guys to know that my updates may be kind of slow for three weeks. The reason is because my mom came to visit me here in the Philippines. I am attending college here and my mom is just visiting for the upcoming family reunion. My mom is obsessed with things going her way so I might not be able to write and update as fast as I sometimes do. However even if I don't update as fast I can guarantee that I am still writing except it would be going more slowly due to my mom visiting.  
But that would be for only three weeks so hopefully I will be able to get my drive back. If I update sooner than expected like I am now, then I just got lucky. Also, notice that the chapter is kind of short. That is also to due my mom visiting. I might not be able to concentrate as well as I did when I write because I have to share my room with her. But I promise that I will still put effort into my works.**

**Now as for this chapter, Lightning and Noctis finally escape and encounter the settlement Noctis had visited before.**

**There was also a little bit of history shown between Lightning and Cloud and Tifa. The reason Lightning knows how to fight without weapons if she needs to is because of Tifa, and despite the fact that Cloud and Tifa were still teenagers in a way when Lightning first met them for the first time, officially when she was five, they were older than Lightning when they began their reign, unlike Lightning.**

**Tifa is also one of the most iconic people in the world of Sanctuaire.**

**Tifa was the first woman to join the royal army and become general. Because of her, she managed to inspire more women to earn the right to become soldiers, and believe it or not, she was Fang's inspiration for becoming general of Bodhum. She is also the first monarch and only monarch whose mastery lies in hand-to-hand combat (martial arts). Fang practically idolizes Tifa because of her exploits and were it not for Tifa making history in a way then fang would not be Lightning's general. Also, as you have no doubt suspected, Tifa is not born of royal blood. But more of her history and Cloud's will be explained farther down the road.**

**Tifa is also the only monarch with two roles: Queen and General of the royal army. This will be explained in detail in a future chapter soon.**

**AVALANCHE's name is not capitalized because it felt too modern to fit in with Sanctuaire's medieval-ish setting, so I merely wrote it normally. And yes Avalanche will make an official appearance just like the others.**

**Thanks again for reading you guys! I love your critics and suggestions. They are really fun to read because it gets my mind jogging. I have never felt this excited to write almost everyday! **

**As always ask me questions, provided that they do not spoil the story but I will do my best to answer without spoiling too much. Stay awesome you guys and I will see you guys again soon in the next chapter!**

**Until then…**


	21. Chapter XXI: Dissimulo

**Disclaimer:**** Hey what's up readers? I have been slow lately I noticed. Well that is because my mom has been making sure we had a lot to do even if we say no. But right now she and her sister, my aunt, are out in the mall getting a facial. I had just returned from college and the first thing I wanted to do was write!**

**So I hope you guys will enjoy this treat!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXI: Dissimulo **

"We are running out of gil fast. I'd say it'd be best if we worked and earn some." Noctis stated as he walked around town with Lightning following behind him.  
The queen did not seem concerned by this. "Very well then. Any suggestions?" Noctis scoffed. "Don't think it would be easy to work." "I am aware, Noctis. You forget who I am, and you forget how people revere me back in Bodhum. And do you know why they refer to me as such?" Lightning said, giving the prince a challenging look. When could not find the right answer, Lightning answered for him. "It is because I work alongside my people and I do not just sit there on the throne as you claim."

Noctis growled at her when she shoved past him and walked on ahead of him. The prince's eyes fell to her hips. They were swaying rather irresistibly and Noctis wondered if she was trying to seduce him, however by the expression on her face it seems that Lightning was more annoyed at him than anything. And he knew for a fact that women could never seduce properly if they were in terrible moves.

Still, Lightning was also known to be a virgin queen—something he had learned from Serah—there was no possible way she could know the art of seduction, more or less have the charms of a proper lady. Yet the way her hips moved seemed to hypnotize him and it took him a long moment to realize that it was indeed how Lightning Farron walked.

Lightning felt his eyes on her but she ignored him. She desperately wanted to break his bones several times but decided that it may be best if she avoided letting her temper rise to the boiling point, but Noctis was not making things easier for her at all.

For nearly the whole day they busied themselves with searching for work in order to earn enough gil for their travels. Noctis was offered several jobs for a decent amount of gil. However, Lightning was left in the dark due to her gender.  
Despite how polite and nice the men were about rejecting her offer to work alongside Noctis, the young queen could not help but feel rather offended. It was as if her pride had taken on another blow. Noctis managed to sneak a smug smirk at her, offending the queen farther. She was used to working and hated having nothing to do until she was restless.

"So, when can ye start working?"

"Whenever you want me to."

Lightning glared as Noctis was sent to working right away. The job was simple; sort out the crates inside the store house and then help load it onto the merchants' wagon. It was simple even Lightning knew how it worked; she had done this sort of work back home in Bodhum many times.  
Noctis was just as arrogant now that he was seen as perfect for working instead of her. _"You are crushing every bit of patience I have, Prince…" _Lightning mentally cursed him and she stood in a far corner with arms crossed and expression sour.

Noctis was a rather hard worker. He handled himself well and never failed to impress those who had hired his help.

Sweat began to gather on his forehead and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. The crates were rather heavy but he enjoyed being able to move about and at least do something worthwhile. The midday sun was heating him up as he and the other men worked.  
When he was finally unable to stand the heat, he pulled his tunic over his head and tossed it aside, leaving him bare-chested.

The tunic landed at Lightning's feet, grabbing her attention from what she had been looking at mere moments ago out of pure restlessness. She stared at the tunic and raised an eyebrow, then looked up at the prince.

Noctis lifted another crate onto his shoulder with a grunt. His muscles flexed with every movement he made and sun shone over him, making his body and sweat shine under the bright light.  
Lightning stared silently. The prince was tall and slender with perfectly sculpted muscles; his chest was smooth and hairless, showing an impressive, hard build. His arms were well-endowed as well, and his abdomen possessed four, nearly six, sculpted hardness. He had several scars on his body, though Lightning knew she had her own collection of scars as well so seeing his was nothing new to her. And as someone who led her army to battle she already knew how a well-defined man's body looked like. Oddly, the prince felt different for her.  
Lightning blinked then rubbed her eyes tiredly; she now very much needed something to do, something to keep her distracted and merely standing here was not doing her any good.

She continued to glare at Noctis' bare back, ignoring his flexing muscles. The man was enjoying rubbing salt into her wounded pride and Lightning was certain she may unleash a storm unto him one day.

As the men loaded the last crate into the wagon, the merchant thanked them and climbed on, ready to drive his chocobos out of the settlement.  
Lightning's eyes widened suddenly and she rushed forward. "Wait!" Before the merchant can look at her, the chocobos squawked and ran forward. The wagon began falling forward and Lightning rushed to shove the merchant away from the chaos before she turned to the tilting wagon and pushed back against the crates as they fell forward.

The men yelled out, trying to find a way to steady the wagon and bring back upright.

Lightning continued to push forward against the heavy wooden containers as the bulky men came to her aid, moving over to the sides of the wagon and pushing it back to a steady position.  
Noctis ran to the front where he saw Lightning holding her position. She looked like she was straining a bit but was able to handle it. He went to one side of the wagon and assisted with bringing it upright again.

Once the tilted wagon was back on its wheels steadily, the merchant stared at his reins in confusion. They had been fine not too long ago and yet it completely detached from his chocobos.

He looked at Lightning when she had finally been freed from the burden. "Thank you, madam. I have no idea what went wrong with my reins…" Lightning took the item from his hands and observed it. "These reins are worn now. I think it would be best if you purchased a new one." The merchant nodded in agreement. "Yes. That may be for the best…" He turned to where his chocobos had stopped. "It may take me a while to put things back in order now that my chocobos are running amok without their reins."

Lightning walked off. "I will deal with them." The men present stared at her in surprise. Noctis rolled his eyes.

Lightning moved to where the chocobos were apparently terrorizing an elderly woman's garden. The queen whistled and the birds stared at her. She raised a hand towards the nearest chocobo. The bird stared at her curiously and leaned his head forward to get a closer look. Lightning touched his beak and the chocobo let out its kind's signature _kweh_ cry.  
The other chocobos relaxed and moved closer to Lightning. She glanced at the woman. "Do you have any gyshal greens?" The old woman nodded and ran into her house then returned with a bunch of greens.

The chocobos turned their attention to her and were about to dive at the greens. Lightning whistled again to prevent them from doing so. She gestured for the elderly woman to throw the greens, which she did hurriedly. Lightning dangled the treats in front of the chocobos and as if in a trance, the birds followed her as she led them back to where their master was waiting for them.

The merchant sighed in relief upon seeing his chocobos return without causing much of a stir.

Lightning moved to the front of the wagon with the chocobos in tow. Once every one of the large birds was there, she stopped and rewarded each one of them with the greens. Eagerly, the chocobos dug into their men cheered, impressed by the woman's calm demeanor and seemingly abundant knowledge on how to handle creatures such as chocobos.  
"Your friend is quite a spitfire." One of the men commented to Noctis. The prince scoffed as he stared at Lightning as she rubbed the beak of one of the chocobos.

The merchant thanked her again before running off to look for new reins, knowing his chocobos would not be causing trouble when they were with the wagon.

"A rather impressive display, milady." One of the burly men complimented with a large grin. Lightning shrugged. "It is nothing unusual. I have dealt with runaway mounts before." "Aye and you handled yourself well with those crates. I had half expected those pieces of wood to crush one of your toes." He said, chuckling to himself, "I guess we underestimated before… Would you still by any chance be interested in working with us? There is still much we need to do here."

Lightning nodded once. "Why not. Better than doing nothing." "I like your spirit, lass! What do they call you?"

Noctis tensed when she answered. "Lightning." "Lightning eh? Sounds rather strange… Have I heard that name somewhere before?" The man said, looking at her oddly. The young queen did not miss a beat. "I highly doubt it; I have been told it was a rather odd name, especially because I am female." The prince huffed; how could she remain so calm? And did these men not hear of her name before? There was no other person, and a woman at that, that goes by the name of Lightning.

When the next shipments of crates were ready, Lightning was allowed to join in with the other workers. Noctis glanced at the young queen once in a while, curious to see if she would even manage to work with such heavy objects.  
To his amazement and slight dismay, she seemed to be doing rather well. Was she perhaps telling the truth when she had said that she worked outside of the palace and among Bodhum's people? It seemed so for Lightning was working as fast as he was and never faltered unless she mentioned that she needed to drink from the flask she kept at her side.

"For Etro's sake, woman! At least tell me what you are indulging yourself in!" Noctis could not help his curiosity about her flask any longer.

Ever the enigma, Lightning shook her head. "It is not important. But if you wish to have a clue then I can tell you it is more or less like water." "That does not answer anything." Noctis said with a glare. The two of them had been placed aside to rest while the other men got up to take their place for a while. "I am afraid I cannot share a drop." The queen said as she tied her flask back in place.

Noctis let out a gruff sound and stood up, volunteering to take the next shift. Lightning watched him as he went. "… Perhaps I really am terrible at conversing casually." She mumbled to herself and leaned against the wall of the store house.

The prince worked himself to exhaustion; anything to keep his mind off the infuriating queen that was working by his side just because she rounded the chocobos back to their master.  
Noctis returned to Lightning once work was done with. Before he walked off, Lightning threw his tunic, hitting the prince in his face. "You are a little conspicuous." She walked on ahead of him. Noctis grumbled as he put his tunic back on.

By the time it was noon, the owner of the store house handed them their payment as thanks for taking the time to assist. Lightning and Noctis bowed their heads in return before strolling off, still full of energy to work some more.

They tried their hand at herding the animals of the settlement. The sheep herd and chocobo flock.

Noctis went on ahead, his stride full of confidence as he began his work. Lightning stood back willingly to "watch him try", as she had stated to him.  
After about thirty minutes or more, the animals began to seemingly grow bored of Noctis and began disobeying him and his gestures. They ran about, giving the prince trouble, as well as well as those who jumped in to assist Noctis. Lightning watched the scene that unfolded before her.

A tiny lamb came running her way and she placed a leg in front of the tiny wooly creature, blocking its escape.

The lamb baaed in protest as Lightning picked it up and held it under her arm. She walked to where the herding disorder was and whistled loudly. The chocobos turned their heads and looked at her. She went to them and held a hand up.  
One of the chocobos nudged her carefully until he decided that she was someone who demanded order. The other chocobos thought the same and gave the queen their attention.

The herders and Noctis watched as Lightning guided the chocobos back to their stables, with the lamb still tucked underneath her arm.

The other sheep were still roaming about but stopped and began to run when Lightning jumped into their view and guided them along.  
It reminded Noctis of a sheep-herding dog bringing the flock to where they must graze. The lamb under Lightning's arm began trembling excitedly at the sight of the other sheep gathering around. Lightning led the flock to where the grazing area was.

"What a gentle hand she has with animals!"

"Aye! You hardly see any women being interested in such work as this these days."

Noctis rolled his eyes at the words of the herders but said nothing. He approached the queen as she finally placed the lamb down and the tiny creature looked up at her before baaing and skipping off to its mother. "You seem to enjoy getting in the way." Noctis commented, not looking at all pleased with Lightning's intervening.  
The queen surprised him when she flicked his forehead. "This is not a competition of wits and skill, Noctis. We are supposed to work to earn enough gil, do we not?" When he did not respond, Lightning ended the conversation. "Then stop acting like a child who wishes for attention." She headed off and the herders came to Noctis, handing him the payment.

There was much work to do around the settlement. Even the smallest work would do for the two monarchs.

Noctis had assisted with sorting the fruits and vegetables for a vendor while Lightning worked by herself in examining the weapons of a weapon-seller.  
To the people of the settlement, it was rather odd that a woman was handling the weapons so well while her male companion was instead sorting fruits. Nonetheless, it was rather endearing and amusing to watch.

When the sun fell beyond the horizon, the prince and queen combined their earnings. It may not have been too much but it was enough to help should they need the gil.

"I suppose you have some sort of idea on where to head next?" Lightning questioned Noctis in his room as he lay in bed. One arm was draped over his eyes lazily as he grunted in response to Lightning's words.  
He lifted his arm slightly to peek at her; she was looking out of the window with eyes narrowed. It reminded him of a guard dog or a personal guard who narrowed their eyes at anything seemingly suspicious or dangerous to them. Quite amusing.

Lightning looked at him and their eyes locked. They stared at one another silently as if engaged in a staring competition.

The queen sighed; trust the prince to turn everything into a challenge. She admitted that she had been like that once, but eventually had to grow out of the habit. However, seeing the prince glaring at her with competitive eyes seemed to rekindle a small flame of Lightning's competitive side. It was not something she ever expected to feel again. It was like a breath of fresh morning air to her.

Noctis did not feel like humoring the queen with a glare. He was tired and wanted to rest but her presence in his room was rather unsettling. He had allowed her in so they may decide on their next course of action. However in the middle, Noctis began to feel sleepy and went for his bed.  
Lightning had said nothing but rather, watched him.

"We can decide tomorrow. For now, I wish to rest." Noctis said tiredly and let his arm slip from his face. Lightning shrugged and made her way out of the room without a second word or glance.

_-XIII-_

The hour grew late and despite his wish to sleep, Noctis could only lie awake with nothing but his thoughts for company.

He growled to himself in frustration. He wanted to close his eyes and rest until the next day but for some reason he could not find it in himself to simply fall into the land of slumber just yet despite the ache and exhaustion in his body.  
Giving up, he stood up from bed and decided to clean himself in the washroom. He stripped himself of his tunic and breeches before he stepped into the decent-sized tub. The water was rather cold but it soon relaxed him.

He scrubbed himself until every speck of grime was off his body. He rolled his neck and heard it creak and the tenseness disappeared.

He stepped out of the tub and grabbed the towel that hung from a nearby chair. He wiped himself as he returned into his room and then donned his breeches.  
Noctis glanced out of his window and stared at the moon. It was a rather lovely night and the settlement was peaceful once it had become dark. Soon everyone would be going off to bed once work was done and all had been said.

He stepped out of his room but collided with Lightning. She stared up at him as he stared down at her. During their collusion, their bodies pressed against each other. The monarchs remained still, fully aware that they had made physical contact; something they both were avoiding for a long while now. They kept their hands at their sides and maintained their uneasy eye contact.

Lightning felt the hard muscles of Noctis' chest and abdomen pressed against her breasts and stomach through her tunic. She stared up at him blankly but his eyes were wide with shock. He tensed at their unwanted contact and kept his hands by his sides like she did. He tried to control his breathing but his expression gave away his shock at the sudden touch between their bodies.  
For a long while, neither of them moved and instead their eyes locked. They were tense and unsure of what the next move should be. Lightning was vaguely aware of his bare-chest sending warmth into her and Noctis held back a shiver when his skin touched Lightning's tunic but felt the softness of her breasts through it.

He stiffened even more when the queen moved. She stepped aside and for a brief second, their chest pressed together even more but it instantly ceased as she stepped back then moved to the side, walking past him. The prince released a heavy breath when she disappeared downstairs and clutched at his bare chest. He was still exhausted but now he also felt hot.  
Noctis retreated to his room and put on his tunic but did not bother buttoning it up. He laid down and stared at the ceiling before forcing his eyes shut and lost himself in thoughts of the happier days of his childhood.

_-XIII-_

"_There you are, my son."_

_Noctis had been only a boy of six when his father brought him and his closest friends to the palace of Bodhum. The young prince turned to look at his father when he heard his name being called. The man smiled at the four boys as he approached. "Noctis, why are you out here? Why not play inside the palace?"_

"_It is better outside." Noctis said. His friends nodded in agreement; they were older than him by a few years but were still as young as the prince was.  
Giovanni chuckled. "Very well, then. Why don't you and your friends invite the princess over as well? I am sure she would like to know you."_

_The king of Nifleheim glanced to the garden's entrance where a young girl of three stood. She stared at the boys curiously._

_Ever since they had entered her home she found herself wondering who and what they were. Noctis seemed similar to her except that he and his friends were slightly older than her, and they looked different. They were smaller than her parents and King Giovanni but bigger than her and her infant sister, Serah._

_Noctis stared at the girl for a moment then frowned up at his father. "But father, she cannot. We are knights and girls cannot be knights." "That's right, sir! Only we can play like this!" The thin blonde boy said, holding up his 'sword' which was merely a stick he'd picked up.  
"Now, now Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus…she may be a young girl but who knows; she might become a strong woman in the future." Giovanni said, lightly lecturing the lads._

_Noctis still shook his head. "I don't feel like it right now…" Prompto suddenly hit Noctis' back with his stick. "Hah! I have struck the first blow to the dark king!" He announced proudly._

_The prince glared at him playfully and held up his own stick. "You did not kill me yet! I will get you first!" The four boys ran off with their sticks raised in the air, shouting out battle cries.  
Giovanni watched as they went on farther into the Bodhum palace gardens. To his surprise, the eldest princess followed them._

_Noctis and his friends found a clearing in the gardens and had decided that this would be where the finally battle takes place._

_Before they began, Gladiolus pointed. "Look!" Noctis turned to see the princess sitting underneath the shade of one of the trees. She was watching them rather intently and with such innocence; it seems that this was the first time she ever saw boys, especially ones nearly as young as her. It was also the first time she ever had the chance to observe how boys act. Already she could tell they were much more different than girls._

_Noctis shook his head. "Let her watch. I don't think she will move any closer to us." Ignis, ever the logical and wise one looked at the princess who just sat there and watched. "She has been following you all day…maybe you should talk to her."  
The young prince nodded. "Later. First…let's fight for the kingdom!" The three boys joined in on Noctis' chant. Soon after they began clashing sticks and rolling about on the grass._

_The princess sat there, rather enjoying herself. She focused mainly on Prince Noctis; he was a rather interesting child. He was younger than the three and even though they were only playing he was better than his friends in their play-fight._

_She wished she could join them as well but she knew the prince did not want her to. When he had first arrived with his father and friends he had been more intent on playing in the gardens with his friends instead of speaking to her like King Giovanni had told him to.  
But she did not mind. Instead she had decided to follow Prince Noctis to learn more about him and about how bigger children acted and played._

_Her father had said that King Giovanni was his friend and that his son would be her friend as well because their kingdoms were 'allies'. She did not know what the word meant but she knew it meant that Prince Noctis was to be her friend in the future._

_Noctis glanced at the pink-haired princess. Her bright blue eyes were observing his every move and he was not sure he liked that. Though she did not bother him he felt uncomfortable with her always following and watching him. He wanted to play with his friends and was not in the mood to speak to a little girl. Maybe later, but right now he enjoyed the company of his friends better._

_Later when the day became late, he returned inside the palace. The princess was still following him but he ignored her._

_He met with his father and grinned with he was lifted into his father's arms. "So, have you spoken to the princess?" Noctis frowned. "Not yet. Later."  
Giovanni sighed; the boy was avoiding, and even forgetting that he was brought to Bodhum just to befriend the eldest princess. But it seems young boyish games were all that was on his mind right now._

_The princess watched the father and son then turned away to leave them alone. She knew that the prince wanted to be alone with his father now. She decided to inspect her infant sister instead and ran down the hall._

_The prince watched as Bodhum's eldest princess ran off. He then wrapped his arms around his father's neck and smiled; he now wanted to spend time with his father and perhaps hear stories of how Giovanni Somnus Caelum became a great king to Nifleheim. Noctis never spoke to or saw the princess after that day.  
_

_-XIII-_

Lightning took another sip from her flask then put the cork back in place. She noted with a frown that the flask was growing rather light.

She cursed inwardly but tied it to her side. The chocobos stared at their human guest curiously as she stood at the entrance of the stable, admiring the night sky and the moon as it shone overhead.  
The settlement was silent at night, and seemed to be free from any sort of Strife.  
The queen hoped it remained this way for these people; they were peaceful and generous. They could tell if someone was a rotten seed or just a friendly passerby.

She admired them for their hard work and lovely homes. She was certain that Serah would have enjoyed seeing this simply place, as would Vanille and Fang.

Lightning stared at the moon and wondered what have become of them. She knew for a fact that they had not fallen in with her and Noctis, so they must still be somewhere. But with Bodhum taken by the enemy, they should have gone into hiding.  
The first priority was to find a trace of her companions and then reunite with them. Lightning was sure Noctis had a different agenda, but he would agree to hers if she said that he would finally be rid of her once she finds her sister and the others.

The prince was a rather unique one in Lightning's eyes. Though she guessed that his true persona has been overshadowed by his grief and sorrow, making him into a sort of man he was not.

Lightning tried not to think too deeply of it. She knew it would be best to keep her distance; she needed to keep him on her side as an ally rather than an enemy, and she could not afford to allow any misunderstandings and arguments slow her down.  
Behind her, the chocbos made a purring sound and ruffled their feathers. The queen thought of Odin; surely he can look after himself. He would stay by Serah's side until Lightning returns.

The hour was growing late still. With a resigned sigh, Lightning made her way back to the inn.

She had hoped to remain outside for a while longer until she was sure the prince was no longer inwardly fuming due to their unintentional and unwanted physical contact.  
She had merely stepped outside to take a walk but Noctis had seemingly exited his room at the same time that she did which caused them to collide. His chest had been bare and pressed up against hers.

The feeling had been odd to Lightning, and most unusual. She had suddenly felt shivers run through her body when they accidentally touched and she could easily see the prince was also rather tense at the incident.

For some reason it unsettled her but not in a way that she usually felt when unsettled. This was new and strange to her. Something she had not encountered before.  
Noctis acted like he had committed a sin; no doubt he thought he was being unfaithful to his memory all because of that one accidental collusion.

Deciding that she had dawdled long enough, Lightning broke into a jog and entered the inn. The inn master greeted her to which she returned with a nod of her head.  
She walked upstairs, intending to reach her room and finally sleep. However, she did not expect to see Noctis standing outside the door of his room and leaning against it. He looked rather unsettled.

Lightning said nothing and made her way to the door of her own room. But as she touched the knob of the door, Noctis slammed his hands against it, trapping Lightning between the door and him.

He was staring at her oddly when she looked at him. She had never seen such an expression on his face before. Lightning felt a shiver crawl up her spine. He was acting strange, and she was not familiar with this kind of mood he has. She did not speak, did not feel that she needed to anyway. Noctis continued to stare at her with blank eyes despite his seemingly pained expression.

Lightning stared up at him and he looked back at her. For a moment nobody spoke, nobody moved.

Suddenly, Noctis grabbed Lightning by her neck and his lips crashed down onto hers. The queen's eyes widened at the sudden contact. It felt warm, and strange. She could taste something; perhaps it was his lips. She felt warm, but not like how a fire warmed her during cold seasons. She had no idea how to describe it. His lips felt soft and the way he moved it against her lips was a rather odd sensation that Lightning had no idea existed or that anyone could put into words. She was not even sure it had a name for itself.  
Noctis' lips moved against hers roughly, angrily. Lightning did not seem to be responding to him but he knew it was because she did not know how or that one would usually respond to such contact of lips. He had no idea what had come over him but he had the sudden urge to pounce and attack her when he saw that she had returned.

The heat of lust gathered to his loins but he held back, remembering that he wanted nothing to do with Queen Lightning or any other woman for that matter.

Lightning allowed him to have his way until he stopped and stepped back. He looked like he was in pain as he turned around and retreated to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Lightning stared and blinked before she entered her own room.

Noctis paced his room and wiped his lips, feeling disgusted. But her taste lingered, the warmth and feeling of her lips remained as well.  
He pulled at his hair; he was betraying the one he swore to love alone. Yet, Lightning's uncertainty, innocence and the fact that she had no inkling about how to kiss warmed him. The warmth inside him spread even more when he realized that he had given Lightning her very first taste of a kiss.

What a fool he was.

In her room, Lightning sat on her bed and sighed tiredly. She carefully touched her lips. For some reason she could taste something, as if she had eaten fresh blueberries. Was it from the prince? But she knew for a fact that he had no eaten any blueberries.  
She did not know what had occurred a moment ago but it was all too foreign to her, yet she could tell the prince is familiar with it. Still, he looked rather disdainful. Was it because of himself or because of her?

Lightning shook her head. It was probably best that she had a good night's rest and head off to wherever once more. But the warmth of her lips did not leave her all night.

* * *

**That's all for now!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed yourselves! I am glad I managed to finish this at last! There is a family reunion coming up so things will get even slower unfortunately but I intend to bring my laptop along so that I can work on the next chapter while I am away. I am not sure if the hotel we are staying in will have an internet connection but I pray that it does.**

**Ah...can you just imagine? Lightning holding that lamb under her arm when she had that usual serious expression on her face? It made me chuckle as I wrote that scene.**

**So for this chapter we managed to get a glimpse of Noctis' childhood. Yes he did meet Lightning once but he never made any direct contact with her since he was more focused on just being a young boy.**

**He and Lightning had not been arranged into marriage; Giovanni brought Noctis to meet her so that they can become close friends just like Lightning's father and Giovanni are. Noctis did not kiss Lightning because he remembered seeing her when they were young. He did not know why he did it and feels that for some reason he is losing control of his senses.  
Young Lightning did not have a crush on Noctis. **

**She was just really curious because she was told by her father that he will be her friend one day as future rulers of allied kingdoms. It was also the first time she ever saw young boys or even saw how they act. She followed him merely to learn about him and what kind of friend he will be in the future, that is why she followed his every step as a child. But after that visit to Bodhum they never saw each other again or even made contact.**

**As it was implied in the previous chapters, Noctis had many chances to meet Lightning again when they became adults but at that time, Noctis had been seduced to love Stella so he became more busy with spoiling her rotten instead of tending to his duties, and rejects every invitation he received be it from Bodhum or any other country because to him only his so-called lover was the world. Because of this he never got to meet Lightning again face-to-face.**

**As such, it was all part of the plan and unfortunately for Noctis, he played his part in the plan well.**

**So now that we got a glimpse of Noctis' childhood and learned that they saw each other once, how will things go now? I will write again soon, sooner than you think so not to worry. As I said before, even if you do not see an update, you can be sure that it is because I am writing it still.**

**Oh yes and before I forget, one of you asked if Noctis can actually speak in wolf form and is it like how humans speak or is it telepathy.**

**Well the answer is: Noctis can speak and it is not telepathy. If you have watched the anime series "Wolf's Rain" or the movie "Princess Mononoke" then you would see the wolves are speaking even though they are not moving their mouths like humans do but they do speak. And that is how Noctis actually talks.**

**Well that's it for now. I'll see you guys again in the next chapter that I write!**

**Until then…**


	22. Chapter XXII: Incertus

**Disclaimer:**** I decided to write while I was here in the hotel that we are staying in for the reunion. I am not exactly too social but that is not why I am here. It's time for some Sanctuaire once again!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXII: Incertus**

"Lord Caius. We have searched but there is still no sign of the crystal."

Caius Ballad glanced at the soldier who bowed before him. He smirked. "Leave it be, soldier. We will find it soon enough…" He rubbed his chin in thought as he was sitting there on the queen's throne. After he had seized Bodhum, his first priority was to take the crystal but it seems Queen Farron had hidden it well.  
The Valhalla soldier stood up and saluted his king before leaving the throne room. Caius was in no hurry; sooner or later the crystal shall reveal itself, and with the queen of Bodhum gone there was no need to rush through things. After all haste makes waste, as he was told.

He stared at the ceiling. "Ah Stella…if only you could see how far our plan had gone. I am sure you would be pleased, my chosen queen."

Caius resisted the urge to smirk as he recalled the moments he snuck into the palace of Nifleheim to inspect and receive a report from his beloved Lady Fleuret, and as he had expected she had done well. Caius had been so sure they would both make it this far together. Such a pity that they had been found out. It seems they had very much underestimated Prince Caelum's willpower, but it was now known that the man was a slave to his memories.

"Ever the puppet." Caius said to himself, thinking of how easy the prince of Nifleheim could be manipulated.

The king of Valhalla looked at his left hand, at the ring with a black diamond that wrapped around his ring finger. "All will come together soon, Stella. I shall destroy every one of the Alliance as we had intended, starting with this pitiful Kingdom by the Sea."  
It was such a pity that his chosen bride was not here to enjoy this victory of theirs but as long as the nations fall under the Cruor Mucro all shall end well.

_-XIII-_

"_I see you had enjoyed the prince again." Caius said as Stella met with him at the back of the palace that evening. Nobody was about in this late hour and it was always the proper opportunity to sneak past Nifleheim's defenses just to meet with other. Hopefully all went well as they had both hoped._

_She smirked at him touched his chest. "All is coming into place, my love." "Indeed." Caius agreed and looked up at the prince's window. "How I long to show you who is the better man." "Of course you are the better one, Caius…" Stella traced her finger up the dark king's chest with seductive intent._

_Caius chuckled. "To see you bed a boy…he is a rather pitiful being, and too trusting." His blonde woman nodded in agreement. "But it is what makes him perfect for us… Soon we will have Nifleheim and then…" She pressed her lips to Caius' neck._

_Truthfully, they had both been expecting Prince Caelum to be rather difficult in earning his trust. Imagine their gloating delight upon seeing how easily the young prince fell in love with the beauty and charms of Stella Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae—soon to be the queen of Valhalla.  
What possessed the prince to fall so easily? Was it because he foolishly believed his pitiful love would perhaps change Lady Fleuret's mind about being of the Cruor Mucro? A foolish notion._

"_Yes. We will have it all soon, once we take this crystal and destroy the prince and the king." Caius groaned as Stella began to run her hands up and down his chest sensually. "You should return to the prince's bed before he sees you are missing." He breathed out, resisting the urge to take his chosen bride right where they stood. Stella shook her head. "The prince sleeps like the dead. Let us leave him be—he will not notice a thing."_

_-XIII-_

"Dreaming like a maiden… How unbecoming of you." Caius blinked when he heard the voice and looked in front of him. Sephiroth stood before the throne with a dark smirk plastered on his face. "Glorious isn't it, Caius?" The silver-haired false king said, admiring the throne.  
Caius' smirked reflected his ally's. "Indeed. I would have gladly given this throne to my bride had she been here at this moment."

Sephiroth laughed darkly. "That woman did her part well I must admit. The prince was a complete fool to even trust her so easily and thinking she loved _him._" The two men laughed. "Yes…Prince Caelum is a fool but that is what made him the perfect tool, my dear Sephiroth. Should he return here to face us it should be easy to bend him to our liking with a mere twist of words."

Sephiroth liked the thought of the idea. It would be entertaining to watch Prince Caelum squirm writhe while begging that they returned Lady Stella to him until he takes his final breath. Just thinking of the prince experiencing a very slow and painful death set Sephiroth's murderous blood a boil.

Caius felt the same; though he had allowed Stella to bed the prince in order to further have him wrapped around her finger, he longed to tear the prince's organs out of his body and show him who Stella's true chosen king is.  
"Sephiroth, once we are successful, you shall rule over Nibelheim as well. I am aware you have a bone to pick with its king. Lord Strife, am I correct?" His companion grits his teeth in a frightening grin. "I look forward to the day that I finally cut his throat and end his life." "Good. And perhaps you may have his queen as well." Caius suggested, standing from the throne and walking out of the throne room with Sephiroth following close behind.

"You are quite generous, Caius. Why the sudden offerings?"

"Did I not freely offer you the kingdom of Midgar if you agreed to slaughter the Shinra line?"

"Indeed you did."

"Then consider what I suggested as your second reward for serving me well, King Sephiroth of Midgar."

"You flatter me…"

"You should be thankful. You now rule a kingdom of your own."

"The power of ruling… It suits me well."

"Indeed."

As they walked through the halls Sephiroth could not help but ask, "What of Queen Farron? We had done away with her had we not? Why are you taking these useless precautions?" "Did you forget, my dear friend? Lady Farron is stubborn and I know this because I have fought her more than once. The child would still be able to stand even after she had been impaled. It would take more than what we did to fully destroy her." Caius explained, but he did not seem too worried. "Should she return here I know the perfect solution to rid ourselves of her."  
Sephiroth chuckled. "The prince of Nifleheim?" Caius nodded. "Indeed." The two kings went on their way, admiring their work and the sight of how far the kingdom of Bodhum has fallen beneath their feet.

"Is everything ready for the next step?" Caius asked, glancing at his loyal general. Sephiroth crossed his arms. "Not to worry. All will be consumed by the chaos." The king of Valhalla nodded in approval. "Good…"

* * *

Noctis awoke with a start and felt his entire body was now soaked with cold water. He looked up and glared at the culprit.

Lightning stood before his bed, holding a now empty bucket. She was unfazed by his annoyed glare and dropped the bucket. "You were writhing in bed. I made an attempt to wake you but it seems your nightmare had ensnared you within its grasp." She explained. Noctis wiped his face and stood up to wash himself properly in the washroom. Lightning watched as he went then returned to her own room to prepare for their leaving.

Once Noctis was finished and dressed in a new and dry tunic that had been provided for him, he met with Lightning at the door of the inn.

He glared at her in annoyance as he walked by her. She followed him and they were soon journeying away from the settlement. But this was only the first step, they knew.  
The next step was for them to decide where to go. But for now it seems they could only wander. Lightning knew she needed to somehow track down the whereabouts of her sister and companions. Noctis was silent beside her the entire time.

Noctis was unsure why neither of them had spoken of or even mentioned the incident last night. Surely Lightning would have bitten him back with a sharp comment, but she had not mentioned anything about his intrusion over her being the other night.  
He regretted ever doing such a thing when he swore to himself that he would never touch anyone else. But just feeling how puzzled Lightning had been when he kissed was too endearing for words. Even though she was a queen who ruled over her own nation and spilled the blood of her own hands, she was innocent in the art of seduction, lust.

It made him wonder how isolated she allowed herself to be. He was sure she was no fool and that she knew what lust was and what seduction meant. She was merely clueless of its workings.

"Is something bothering you, Prince?" Lightning asked, noticing his odd stare. Noctis blinked out of his stupor. "Nothing. It is none of your concern." He said, lifting his nose upward with a huff.  
Lightning gave him a blunt expression at his haughty ways. "Very well then…" She continued to walk ahead, leaving Noctis to his thoughts. He growled and went after her but remained silent.

Why was did she seem so unconcerned with what had happened the other night? Did she truly not feel a thing despite how much they scorned each other? He had expected her to attack him out of anger for invading her personal space but instead she seemed to act as if none of it happened at all.  
It was frustrating, and at the same time, relieving. But it still made Noctis wonder if the young queen could feel anything at all, even if it was just simple pleasure.

Noctis shook his head from the thought. Pleasure was something he had given up on ever since the one he had cherished was lost. Seeking pleasure with another woman was unacceptable.

Lightning did her best to ignore Noctis' expressions. He seemed to be shifting back and forth between emotions and it was rather unsettling.  
It was like the prince had two minds in one body. She also wondered why he never spoke of his sudden actions during their night at the inn. He never said a word of it so she did not bother to bring the topic up. It may only upset him further anyway.

"I am assuming you wish to find Serah and your friends."

"You are suddenly observant today, Prince."

"So I am correct?"

"Of course, that would be the first thing on my mind."

"Then do you have any idea where to start?"

"Perhaps…"

Noctis snorted. "Until you do get an idea, you will have to follow _my_ lead from now on." "Not in your lifetime, Prince Noctis." Lightning rebuked in annoyance. Noctis glared down at her. "I know the outside world better than you do." "You underestimate me Noctis, because I had my fair share of travel." The young queen returned his glare before looking away nonchalantly.  
"I grow tired of your arrogance, Lightning Farron." The prince felt like hitting her—the same could be said for Lightning as well. "And _I_ am growing tired of your stubbornness."

"I am stubborn? You are the one who insists everything goes your way!"

"And you treat people like a plague."

"You all _are_ plagues!"

"Blaming people, even those who just walked by you, for your loss is not how you should live your life."

"You dare to lecture me?"

"I am not lecturing, I am advising!"

Noctis waved her off. "Keep your advises to yourself. I want none of it!" "I am not asking if you want them or not" Lightning retorted, brushing past Noctis roughly.  
He tensed at the contact and cursed; even just this small rude gesture made him shiver just because their bodies touched albeit for a brief instant.

He hated the effect she was beginning to have on him. It was making him betray himself and his promise.

"Are you planning on coming along or do you intend to stay there in one spot?" Lightning called out to him. Realizing that she had gone far ahead of him during his musings, he held back a curse and went after her until he managed to fall into step with Lightning once more.  
They continued in silence, neither of them in the mood to start another argument. They were both already too irritated to even bother with having disagreements however that did not prevent them from sending annoyed glances at each other.

"Your horse would have been appreciated had I known it would take this long for us to travel." Noctis grumbled. The queen scowled. "Do not think that Odin would allow anyone to ride him. He only listens to me." Noctis snorted. "I do not doubt that. That old nag of yours is a terribly moody beast of burden." "He is not old. Not yet." Lightning replied.

They went as far as their feet and stamina would allow them to go. However, they did manage to travel farther than anybody could usually travel.

Once they decided to allow themselves a few moments of rest, they settled by a stream they had stumbled upon. Lightning was first to take a drink while Noctis kept his distance from her. Only when she had her fill did Noctis move in. He took her place at the stream while she walked back to a dry spot. He made sure that he did not accidentally brush up against her for the sake of his sanity.

It was strange how he was completely infuriated with Lightning yet he was trying to avoid even the slightest accidental touch because he feared losing hold of his most precious memories if he allowed himself to give in to temptation.  
He was not even sure how this even happened or when it had occurred, but as he continued to think it over he realized that he was now in danger of losing control of the hold he had of the only memories he had left. If he gave in now all that he held close and dear to him would be lost, all because of a simple glance from Lightning Farron.

"Damn…" He ran his hands through his hair in frustration before he dipped his head into the stream to wet his face and take a long drink. He wanted to erase everything, turn time back and perhaps go back to the time before he even met Lightning Farron as the wolf, or better yet, go back to the time when he had been able to love so deeply.

Lightning watched Noctis intently. She could easily tell that he was in conflict with himself and over the memories he thought had been real. She could not fault Noctis for trying to cling to what he thought was real love but perhaps it would be best if he moved on with his life.  
The young queen had no desire to say this to him; after all she knew nothing about the curse known as _love_. Serah had said it was both a blessing and a curse at times, and seeing Noctis showed Lightning how the emotion acted as a curse.

It was sad, almost pitiful but in a way she felt that perhaps Noctis was not too different from her. He lost something—despite the fact that it had not been genuine—just like she did. But at least he still had something; his father and his friends, and his kingdom. But he was taking all for granted on purpose, not willing to let go of his delusions.

She knew it was not her place to lecture him but seeing Lord Giovanni in tears that night in Nifleheim made Lightning think of her own father. She and Serah had lost him and their mother before they even reached womanhood.

Life was truly unfair. She looked up when Noctis returned from the stream and he settled down on the grass, a few good paces away from her.  
Lightning rolled his eyes and glared at him. "You do realize that I too can get offended." Noctis turned his head to look away. "We rest for five minutes and then we leave." He said, ignoring her statement.

When they got to their feet to begin their walk again, Noctis morphed into the wolf and sulked on ahead of Lightning, his back hunched and his tail pointed upward haughtily. Lightning scoffed.

It took all of her willpower not to lose her temper when the wolf swiped his tail at her face as if she were a piece of furniture that was in need of some cleaning.

Noctis inwardly smirked when he realized that he was indeed getting on her nerves. As long as she kept her distance from him there would be no disputes.

* * *

Much to Noctis' dismay, contact was becoming inevitable.

The more they argued, the more prone they were to physical contact. They would shove and even brush past each other rudely and the more it happened the more Noctis was beginning to lose control of his desire to explore more of the beauty that was Lightning.  
She was entirely enigmatic to him despite how infuriating she was to him. He wished to strangle the breath out of her lungs but at the same time he was developing the urge to take her breath away with his own lips. It was frustrating.

He had done so much to hold back his ever-growing desire for Lightning but now he tried looking back to see just where and when this dangerous addiction had started.

At first when he had met Lightning he had been in the guise of the wolf and she had not known of his actual identity. Because of this he had allowed himself to play in her tub and frolic in her gardens like a carefree child. But in doing so he released that he had been becoming too comfortable around the queen. After that he did his best to keep his distance, but to no avail.

Now he was paying the price letting his guard down it seems.

For many days now he had been spending time in Lightning's company and no matter what he did she was there, pushing him out of the way from danger when he clearly welcomed his oncoming death. She spoke to him in such an arrogant way that made him want to strike her but seeing just how many injuries she had obtained in every battle they had encountered so far stopped him.

The way she walked and the way her hips swayed so sensually without any intent on seducing, the way her cold and intimidating face actually concealed an innocent and gentle heart despite the cold impression she left on anyone she encountered.

She was austere but was also capable of adapting to her situation, and she fought bravely like a soldier in the heat of battle.

Noctis buried his face in his hands. He glanced to where Lightning sat, watching the dark sky. They had stopped to rest for the night when the hour grew late and fierce creatures began to emerge from the dark. He had made sure to keep far away from her as possible and she had merely ignored him and instead entertained herself with watching the moon.

Lightning glanced at Noctis the moment he looked away from her.

It was strange how he seemed to invoke such strange emotions from her that she never knew existed. She sometimes wished to perhaps leave him to his own devices but she knew that she had promised Lord Giovanni that Noctis would return home safely no matter what.  
But what she going too far just to fulfill that one promise? She knew she had her limit when it came to the prince's haughty ways, but she could not bring herself to leave him behind.

There were times when she wanted to do just that but it proved difficult. All she had to do was turn around and walk away from him but her feet refused to move and would instead follow the steps he took.

She took a better look at the prince and found him gazing at the sky as well. His posture showed signs of his tiredness and frustrations of the sufferings he'd gone trough. The moon shone over him, casting a rather ethereal glow onto his form. He looked nearly-godlike with the way he sat and stared at the sky. His eyes seemed to glow from the silvery light and his dark hair now had a wonderful gleam. It looked rather soft to touch.

Noctis felt her eyes on him and looked her way. In an instant the world seemed to disappear.

He was familiar with this feeling; he knew what it meant when he felt like the world had vanished. He had been running from this feeling for three years now but as he sat here looking into Lightning's cold blue irises, he was not sure whether to fight it or to give in anymore.

Lightning was just as confused; she was usually so focused and aware of all that went around her but now she felt like her mind had tossed caution to the wind along with every other logical thought she had. For now it was merely both of them. What strange illusion was causing her to lose all control of her senses like this?

Noctis moved closer to her until he was able to reach out and touch her face.

This simple gesture fogged her mind even more. She had never been touched his way by a man except by her father when he would comfort her.  
Lightning continued to gaze into his darker pools with her own lighter ones. Noctis held back a gasp when he saw himself reflected in her eyes. His face contorted into a confused expression.

He never wanted to touch any other woman again but Lightning was here before him, tempting by simply standing close.

Noctis caressed her cheek slowly, taking in every the sight of her as the moon continued to cast a silver light over them both.  
He moved slowly when he scooted even closer to her. He knew this was becoming dangerous and he should retreat like he always did but he found himself frozen on the spot, unable to pull away from her, this young queen who glowed like a goddess.

Lightning felt the sudden urge to touch his face just as he did with her. She lifted her hand and placed her palm against his cheek.

That one touch was all it took for Noctis to lose his control. He leaned towards her and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her harshly, with no gentleness or sweet intentions.  
Lightning held still, not sure how to respond. Noctis continued ravishing her lips with his own until he could no longer breathe. Lightning grunted when he released her lips. Noctis dived in again, not giving her a chance to catch her breath.

Lightning pushed against his chest in protest but Noctis refused to move away from her.

He growled and continued his lustful assault lips. He nipped at her upper lip despite her lack of response. When he finally let her go, he gasped then stood up abruptly. Noctis stared down at Lightning then at his hands before he turned on his heels and dashed away, his human form instantly replaced by the black wolf.

Lightning lay back on the grass and released the breath she had not known she had been holding. What was happening to her? Why had she allowed Noctis to take advantage of her like that? She may not have known how to respond to such advances but she knew when a man had intentions of intimacy.

She covered her eyes with her arm and grits her teeth. Her heart was pounding against her chest rapidly. She grabbed her flask and drank. As she put the flask away again, she heard the brokenhearted howl of a wolf.

The young queen felt her chest tighten in a strange way. "… What is happening to me? Why is this happening to me?" She could not afford to be distracted by such unknown and frustrating emotions. She needed to focus on finding traces of her companions and taking her kingdom back.

But why did it hurt her chest?

_-XIII-_

Noctis felt lost. He had given in to his sinful desires when he swore to himself, promised his dearest memories that he would not.

But despite how painful it felt to betray his own promise, he felt relief. He looked at the sky again, lifted his head and howled at the moon. The voice of the wolf could be heard for a few miles away but it did not matter who heard him and his cries.

He felt torn and was falling apart. He still refused to let go and he never would, but this new temptation called out to him like a force he had never felt before. He looked at the stars and hoped Stella would forgive him. Perhaps she did not care but he did. He loved her with all his heart still. But for now, he wanted to give in and feel something real again just for once.

* * *

**I will end it here for now.**

**So here I am right now, in the hotel where our family reunion is taking place. I decided to take some time to write while I am here.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter and many more to come. I cannot make very long chapters at the moment because my mom has me on a time restraint, despite the fact that I am nineteen...**

**Anyway, just to clear any confusion, Noctis is not yet in love with Lightning, more like in lust with her but he is still resisting at the same time. Lightning is confused and is not sure why she feels odd and why she doesn't shove Noctis off.**

******I had forgotten to mention; the throne Caius was sitting on at the beginning was Lightning's throne. This is a reference to one of the endings in Final Fantasy XIII-2 where Caius is seen sitting on Etro's throne. And since Lightning's queen throne _is_ Etro's throne I thought it would be rather fitting to have that here. Besides, he did overthrow Bodhum in Lightning's absence.**

**Well I have to take off for now. I will see you guys in the next chapter I write.**

**Until then…**


	23. Chapter XXIII: Cōnfūsiō

**Disclaimer:**** Hey readers! It's been a while! We got back from the hotel days ago and I have been busy with school for a bit. But like I said, I am still writing despite the current slowness. Hope this will be worth the wait! Enjoy!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXIII:**** Cōnfūsiō**

"A desert town?" Lightning asked as she walked beside Noctis. The prince nodded and pointed ahead. "If memory serves me right, and provided that we had been walking in the right direction, there should be a town that resides in the desert, near an oasis." He explained. Lightning followed his gaze and her eyes narrowed; the air around them did seem to be growing hotter. Perhaps he was right about where they were going.

"Huh. Perhaps you are of use after all." She commented. Noctis casted her an irritated look but chose not to say a word.

The other night after he'd stolen a second kiss from Lightning he had strayed away from their camp in the form of the black wolf. He knew he would not be able to sleep so close to Lightning after the little incident so he kept his distance for the night. Lightning had not made any mention of it the next day when he met with her just as she had been preparing to get up and leave.  
This was the second time he had touched her, kissed her, and this was the second time she kept silent on the matter. Did she truly feel nothing for her to be able to say nothing as if she had not just been kissed by a man such as him? Perhaps she was as heartless as some had claimed.

Lightning could sense Noctis' unease around her. She knew he was most probably wondering about what her reaction to his advances might be, but truth to be told Lightning had no inkling on how to react. She felt nothing but confusion and wariness towards the prince.  
It was one of her weaknesses; she refused to face anything or anyone unless she was sure of the outcome and intentions. In a way, she supposed she was rather afraid of the unknown. Ironic for someone who was known to be fearless.

"How far do you predict it would be?" She asked with a sigh. The prince crossed his arms. "Three more miles perhaps; we have been traveling for a long time now, and if we are fortunate, we may find your sister there." He said. When he glanced at Lightning, he noticed that the scars on her face have already healed; it seems the salve had done its job well to the fullest.

Lightning in the meantime observed their current surroundings. She could not believe she had almost missed it. "We are still in Bodhum's territory." Noctis nodded in confirmation. "Correct. It is fortunate for you since you are still practically within your kingdom."

It was a relief, but it was also a very small mercy. With her palace taken by the enemy it would be best for her to remain anonymous for a while until she makes a plan to take the kingdom back. Hopefully there would be information for her at the desert town. It would be natural for there to be a tavern where weary travelers could rest and drink.  
It was important that she play her cards right, when she does, information is as good as hers. She tensed in anticipation. Noctis glanced at her skeptically. "I do hope you know that nobody would simply give information if you merely ask them." "You forget who you are talking to, Prince." Lightning reminded, tapping the side of her head.

The rest of the walk was in silence. Neither felt like saying anymore, especially not after the intimacy they had nearly lost themselves to the other night.

Although he would not admit it, not even to himself, Noctis was beginning to crave for more of Lightning's taste. But he held back. This addiction that was growing within him was dangerous and he was already on the verge of losing his mind and the precious memories he had promised to cherish. He had no intention of letting go even if they were nary a straw in his grasp now.  
Much to his utter dismay, Lightning was also beginning to look tempting and unknowingly seductive in his eyes. She had no idea that the mere sight of the way she walked was becoming rather arousing to him; another show of the queen's apparent innocence.

Usually when a woman reached her age, or even the age of seventeen at most, they knew ways of lust and perhaps seduction if they had experienced early. But Queen Lightning was a clear exception from this. Aside from Queen Yuna of Zanarkand, that is. Among the monarchs Lady Yuna was known to be the most generous and selfless, even sometimes the least violent unless one manages to bring out her very rare wrath.

"Hurry up or I will leave you behind!" Lightning called out to him. Noctis blinked then finally noticed that the young monarch was a head of him. He jogged over until he was in step with her again.

She still infuriated him but now she more often confused him. At first he was always sure he knew what she was like but the more he remained near her he was beginning to see more to her. It was like she had hidden another side to her that nobody can ever see or reach. Did Serah feel this way as well or did she already manage to decipher her sister while others cannot and struggle to find the answer?  
Noctis hated being defeated in both physical and mental battles, aside from his cherished memories he valued his pride more than anything. And to be left confused and in the dark made him feel defeated and he despised the feeling.

Should he resist the innocent charms of Lightning Farron or should he give in even for just a few moments until he received all the answers he needed about her?

The first option sounded oh so wonderfully, seductively tempting. If only things were easier, perhaps he might have allowed himself a free taste or two. But with the way things are, every taste he had of Lightning cost him a fragment of his most beloved memories of three years ago. Was that even worth losing over a simple taste—a simple dangerously sweet touch from the young queen?

Lightning sent Noctis an exasperated glance. Though he tried to hide it, he sometimes wore his heart on his sleeves given that he was vulnerable enough. She had decided against letting him know this; better that he actually felt something rather than become a numb creature with no mind of its own.

Noctis was unsure what got into him but after a while he felt like he needed to speak, "If I recall correctly, the town would be known as Dead Dunes. Strange because it seemed a rather decent-looking town." Lightning lifted her shoulders in a light shrug before explaining. "The reason is because of bandits. At night they roam and rule over the town and because of this it is known to be rather dangerous to be walking outside at night if you are in Dead Dunes." "How unfortunate…" Noctis muttered.

"But on the positive side, it is perfect to receive information should you play your cards right. After all, it all comes with a price." The young queen reminded.

Noctis nodded stiffly. He did not need to be reminded, but for once he was glad she reminded him anyway; with so many thoughts running through his head at the moment he might as well forget how to walk or even the directions back to his home kingdom.  
"It might be best if we actually reach Dead Dunes while there is still light out. Once it gets dark they will immediately come out for whatever it is they plan to raid next." Lightning said, quickening her pace even more.

Noctis grit his teeth and morphed into the wolf. He leapt up and landed in front of Lightning, blocking her path. She stared at him in disbelief.

"Get on. It will be much quicker this way. You will just slow me down by walking by yourself." The wolf said with a low defiant growl. Lightning narrowed her eyes at him but did as he said and mounted Noctis' back. "At least you're soft enough to bear." Lightning muttered. The black wolf snorted in offense and turned back around to run to Dead Dunes.

The wind played at Lightning's hair and Noctis' fur as they went. Despite the growing heat of the day, the wind was refreshing and relaxed them somewhat. The earlier they arrived, the better. Even though they had the strength to drive off bandits it would only hinder them even more; it was best to avoid unnecessary fights.

"How do you seem to know so much when a while ago you did not even know about the desert town until I mentioned it?" Noctis asked. Lightning straightened. "I only realized it when I noticed we were still in the lands of Bodhum. Besides, I have visited Dead Dunes before." She said, adjusting her cloak slightly; it was becoming rather battered from the fall into the fissure and from the many journeys.

There was no stopping now. Once they reach Dead Dunes the first priority would be to gather information about the whereabouts of Bodhum's residents. With any luck someone was bound to know where it would be possible to escape to during a siege.  
Just the thought of her palace and the entire kingdom of Bodhum being ruled over by Valhalla's king sickened Lightning to her very core. She held back the bile that was threatening to rise from the back of her throat. Without realizing, she clenched her fingers into the fur of Noctis' back, alerting the black wolf of her current mood.

He knew Lightning was very much concerned for her kingdom, if he had cared then perhaps he would to. But he had stopped caring for even his own kingdom long ago. At least, that is what he had convinced himself into believing.

When the lands around them began fading into a drier and hotter image, they knew they were close. A few more steps and they would have arrived in Dead Dunes. Lightning felt a pang of nostalgia of when she and Fang had gone to investigate strange occurrences in the desert town. They had questioned the residents, the master of a tavern, and even the women working in the brothels. However, it was there that Lightning met with an unfortunate incident; the brothel women had began attaching themselves to her like they would to men.  
Fang had laughed at her while watching the young queen try to escape the grasp of the oddly-enthusiastic women. Lightning rolled her eyes at the memory; she had deemed the brothel girls insane for even trying to bring themselves onto her being.

At least Fang seemed to have enjoyed the amusing and rather humiliating experience of the queen. She had even told the story to Serah, much to Lightning's dismay. Now her younger sister's innocent mind had been soiled by images of Fang's description of brothel girls hanging on Lightning's arm.

"Noctis…" She began. The wolf grunted, indicating that he was listening. "… When we reach Dead Dunes, make sure to keep away from the brothels." Lightning said in a firm tone that left no room for argument. The wolf growled in annoyance, "Why? Are you worried I may forget your mission and run off with a houri for my own pleasures?" "It is not you I am worried about; it's myself." Lightning said to him in a rather blunt tone, as if she had expected him to know that fact.  
Noctis blinked in surprise and confusion. Why in the world would she be concerned about being near brothel girls? She was a woman herself.

Suddenly, Serah came into his mind. He remembered her smiling and laughing as she told him the story of Lightning during her days as adolescent queen when she had once been accosted by brothel girls.

"I see…" Noctis said, finally understanding what she had meant. He resisted the urge to snicker; the queen did not want to step into the brothel again lest the women recognized her or were still there and would catch sight of her. "Even a woman needs to indulge in pleasures, Queen Farron." Noctis' deep growling wolf voice said to her. Despite how blatant his tone was, Lightning could hear the slight teasing in it. She glared at the back of his head. "I am aware, Noctis. Remind of that again and I will tear off a patch of fur from your back." Her threat made Noctis snort.

The wolf felt sand beneath his paws and stopped. He looked down then at the surroundings. Palm trees and an abundance of sand could be seen everywhere now.

Lightning dismounted him and placed a hand on her hip. "I see this piece of land has not changed." She commented. It was still the same as it had been when she had first visited.  
Noctis returned to his true form and dusted his tunic off. "Well? What is the plan?" He mocked and raised an eyebrow. The queen tried not to hit his face. "First we find an inn, rest and then gather information." She listed, holding up her fingers as if to count the number of things they were to do. "Fine." Noctis sighed and followed her into the town.

It was a rather nice town; the residents were hard at work and were polite enough to greet the two strangers who entered their town.

Lightning was familiar with Dead Dunes so it was rather quick and easy for them to locate a decent inn. They requested for their rooms and after resting for a few moments, they began their search. The queen's keen eyes surveyed the area. There were a decent amount of people up and about on this day, and since the sun was still high in the sky their chances of information-gathering on this day was likely to go well. The both of them left their cloaks in their room as it was too hot to continue wearing them. Lightning felt much lighter however, and that suited her fine.  
Noctis rolled his shoulders as he followed the queen. He tried not to look at her curvaceous form or notice how her hips kept swaying with every step she took. He tried to deny the attraction he felt whenever he remembered that she was still pure and innocent when it came to lust. Innocent, but not naïve.

He swallowed when a drop of sweat slid down her temple and neck, making the flesh there seem more appealing to him. Damn the woman for being so lovely to behold!

The first place they searched was in the tavern. The patrons sat at their tables chatting or playing a game of cards or testing their strength with arm-wrestling.  
"Charming…" Noctis commented in a rather sarcastic tone. Lightning could not fault him, the tavern was rather rowdy with intimidating-looking patrons, but it was fortunately not very seedy. The tavern master looked their way and raised an eyebrow when the queen and prince approached. "Newcomers or just mere travelers seeking refuge?" The man asked as he cleaned the top of the bar.

Lightning discreetly placed gil in front of him. "I need to know if anyone from Bodhum is taking refuge here."

The man eyed the gil then carefully swept it into his pockets. "A lot of travelers pass by here, which is nothing new. But refugees are. It is all because the damn Cruor Mucro took over Bodhum. I hear the queen may be dead." Lightning did not miss a beat. "Perhaps, perhaps not. Now tell me; did anyone from Bodhum come here?" The tavern master sighed, "Aye. Several of them. In bad shape they were but they had recovered nicely. I hear they had been nearly done in my the dark army but escaped with their skins and made it all the way here to Dead Dunes."

Noctis looked at Lightning and she nodded at him. The young queen placed another hefty sum on the bar. "I need to know what they look like—the ones who came here from Bodhum."

"You seem awful interested in these refugees. You ain't part of the dark army are ya?" The man whispered his question, not wanting to cause a stir within his tavern. Lightning glared at him. "Not even for a second. I need to know because they are my companions. But I have to be sure it is really them first." With a defeated sigh the tavern master took the gil off the bar. "One of them was an old gent. He looked rather worn but fine-looking for his age—I am practically the same age as him and yet he still looks like a handsome devil! Had the body of a man who is physically fit even!" Lightning shrugged; perhaps Noctis inherited his dark handsomeness from his father after all.  
"There were three ladies with him," The man continued, "Two of them were like young flowers in the spring, and the other…well she looked terrible with all those wounds. Looked like an Amazon, that one—had lance strapped to her back and had slightly dark skin…"

Lightning felt like a burden had been lifted. Lord Giovanni, Serah, Vanille, and Fang were all here. Noctis felt Lightning relax and he too did the same.

"You have my thanks." The queen said and turned on her heels. Noctis glanced at her as she left immediately but with a calm and unhurried stride. The tavern master looked at the prince. "A fine lady you got there. Must be amazing to have a woman who can hold her own; it won't slow anyone down in my opinion." Noctis did not respond to this but instead left the tavern.

He found Lightning standing near the oasis. Her arms were crossed over her chest, concealing her luscious breasts from view. Her expression was serious, almost hard but contemplating.

"When all this is over…where will you go?" Lightning asked, not beating around any bush. That was just the way she was, direct and got to the point. Noctis stared at the oasis for a while in silence before he gave his answer, "Anywhere. I am free that way and I enjoy freedom. It is better than being locked away in a palace where you have no choice but to serve others but yourself." Still selfish, Lightning mentally noted. She made no comment to his statement however and said instead, "I hope you find solace in your decision to roam free then."

A small twinge of disappointment crawled into Noctis' mind. He had expected her to lecture him about the wellbeing of his father and so on. To have her easily accept his plans seemed rather…odd.

"And you? What will you do?" He could not resist asking her the question. He never once heard her make plans for herself like he did. The young queen inhaled slowly before giving her answer, "After liberating Bodhum the first thing I plan to do is restore it to its former glory, perhaps even better. Then it all goes from there." It was not much of a plan, Noctis noticed.

Was there nothing more she wanted to do besides looking after Bodhum? It was like Lightning was an empty shell, someone with no ambition or dreams. Was this what it means to be ruler of one's country? To give up or not even have your own thoughts of ideals and ambition or even dreams? It made Noctis' desire for freedom grow. He had no intention to let go of his dreams.

Lightning glanced at Noctis and felt her chest tighten at his form; he was tall, dark, imposing and completely male. A seductive wave of heat burned in the pit of Lightning's stomach, rising and falling into parts of her she had not known even existed. She noted the young handsome smoothness of his face and observed how his bangs were short but long in the middle. His longest strands of bangs fell over his face, between his eyes. It was what gave him his rather dark and mysterious-looking appearance, but she knew he was anything but dark and brooding. However even his true self was overshadowed by his selfish pain and desires.

"And what if your father finally grows too old to rule? What will you do once he passes on from this life into the next?" Lightning questioned him, her tone serious.

Noctis shrugged lazily. "Who knows for certain? Someone from the council would most likely inherit the kingdom then." "And that is fine with you? Your people, your companions and kingdom are of no concern to you? Even if Nifleheim became kingless?" The young queen had a challenging ring in her voice, daring him to make the next move.  
He had thought about it many times. He had imagined himself roaming the open plains as a wolf, unconcerned with human worries and tribulations. Even when Nifleheim would lose its king to old age at last, Noctis would be hunting his next meal and taking a drink at a nearby stream. That was what he had imagined it would be like should Nifleheim become kingless.

He told Lightning this and she glared at him disapprovingly. "You are such a child." She said coldly and offered no more sharp words with her just as sharp tongue.

"Well whatever it is we plan to do later we must concentrate on the now," Lightning changed the subject before she was sure they might both start arguing over their different views again. Noctis wanted to let her know she was being cowardly for doing so but he held himself back. Oddly enough; usually he would not hesitate to lash at the queen when he found an opening, but this time he felt like letting her be.

Lightning looked up at him. He felt her gaze then locked his eyes with hers. For a while, neither of them spoke and let the peaceful sounds of the town engulf them. Lightning knew she had to break the silence because she had something to say. "… Remember this, Noctis…you are lucky that your father is still by your side and living in this world. You may despise him and every living creature in this world for what you thought you had lost, but know this; never take your father for granted. You should be thankful you still have him. If you did not you are alone, on your own." Lightning said in a quiet voice. She sounded so serious Noctis wondered what had gotten into her.

"Just keep it in the back of your mind, Prince. I do not expect you to understand or accept what I say, but at least make sure you have those words in mind." Lightning said, looking back at the oasis. Noctis shook his head at her in disbelief. "I swear your behavior is growing stranger day by day." Lightning only shrugged in response and sighed tiredly, "Perhaps."

The calmness was broken with the sound of a crash. Lightning and Noctis whirled around; their hands went to the hilt of their swords.

The residents stopped their activities to look towards the source of the sound. Before long a group of men appeared from around the corner of one of the structures while hauling somebody along.  
Shouts of "Let me go! I did nothing wrong I swear!" could be heard.  
Lightning froze, recognizing the voice in an instant. She watched as the men yanked their prisoner forward roughly. Vanille came into view, looking rather worn out but otherwise, well and healthy.

"Vanille!" Lightning called out to her longtime friend and handmaiden and rushed forward to her aid.

"Vanille!" The young handmaiden could have sworn she heard someone call her name in that familiar, deep voice that she knew belonged to Lightning. Vanille dipped her head, knowing that she was most likely hallucinating again, conjuring up images of her friend in her mind.  
Fast and light footsteps approached her direction but Vanille was being hauling about too roughly to notice the on goings around her. She heard her name again, followed by a sharp demand. "Release her!" Vanille looked up and her emerald eyes widened in shock. It could not possibly, could it? Lightning was standing before her, alive and well!

"This one is one of them thieves that always bring us misery!" One of the large men stated while harshly poking at Vanille's temple with a fleshy finger. The redhead groaned in protest at the rough treatment. Noctis made his way over to stand besides Lightning. He glanced at Vanille then noted the look upon Lightning's face. Her blue eyes turned steely and her body tensed in a rather anxious and protective way.

"She is not one of the thieves. She is with me." Lightning said, nodding at Vanille. "What did she ever do to make you suspect she was one of those desert thieves?"

The one in charge puffed up his chest indignantly. "This one's been skulking about town a lot recently, looking over her shoulders like she had committed a crime! Yeh, at first we thought nothing of it until I see her running about with Old Man Bal's golden dagger!" The man called one of his companions forward to show Lightning the golden dagger as proof. "She had been stealing it and tried to escape with it!" The leader said.

Vanille shook her head. "I did _not_ steal it! Fang and I have been searching for that dagger for days! Old Man Bal himself requested that we find it for him! It's true! The real bandits were the ones who stole it and I only found it!" "Shut yer trap!" Another man yelled at her, gripping her shoulders painfully. Vanille yelped at the force.

Lightning clenched her fists. "Unhand her now."

The men scoffed. "Who do ye think ye are? Yer not our queen or anyone like that!" The man with the gold dagger spat. Lightning was tempted to tell them who she truly was; it would make things easier and make them obey her easily but it was dangerous to reveal her true identity out in the open when Bodhum was infested with soldiers from Valhalla and Midgar. And since Dead Dunes was one of the towns that rested in-between Bodhum and Nifleheim, there was no doubt that men from the dark army could be hiding about.

"No. I am not," Lightning said, "But I know this woman and I know she is not a thief. If you doubt her honesty then why not bring her and the dagger to this Old Man Bal since he is the victim here. If he says she stole the dagger then you may take her away, but if not then you will hand her to me."

Her voice was laced with confidence, it made Noctis shiver. His body reacted to her low, deep, yet seductively feminine voice. The husky sound drove him nearly insane every night in his sleep but he had managed to resist its alluring sound until now.  
The prince watched as the men debated amongst themselves before they turned their attention to Lightning again. The leader crossed his arms. "Alright then, stranger. We will go see Old Man Bal. If we prove you wrong then you have to let yourself be locked up with your friend. After all, how can we be sure you're not a thief as well, trying to save your friend?"

Vanille's eyes widened at his words but what made her fall into even more disbelief was when Lightning agreed.

Noctis raised an eyebrow in amusement. Lightning was completely confident and it showed in her stance and the way her eyes gleamed dangerously. Noctis knew Vanille was no thief; it was Lightning's demeanor that had him intrigued. He knew that at this moment she had brought out the politician side of herself; a side that was austere, calm, and collected. Observant, both good and careful with her words just as politicians—good and honest ones—should be.

The walk to Old Man Bal's took no more than a minute or two.

It was there that the party saw an old man sitting at the door of his residence. He was humming a gentle tune to himself and his eyes were closed. It was the picture of an elderly man in peace. The leader of the group holding Vanille captive cleared his throat.  
Old Man Bal opened his eyes and looked up at the unexpected guests. "Oh my… Is something the matter?" He noticed Vanille and his eyes widened.

"I believe this belongs to you." The man holding the gold dagger handed the item back to its true owner. Old Man Bal smiled in relief. "Oh thank goodness! I don't know where I would be without this dagger. It was passed down in my family for many generations." He looked at Vanille and grinned. "Thank you for finding it, Miss Vanille."

The men blinked in surprise then saw Vanille's warm smile. "Old Man Bal? Does this mean you really did send this young lass out to get your dagger?" The leader asked.

Placing his dagger down by his side, the elderly man nodded. "Why yes. A few days ago after the bandits raided our town again; Miss Vanille and her friend found me sulking and offered to return my golden dagger from those bandits. It took a while but now it is finally back in my hands."

Lightning glared at the large man and gestured at the redhead. With a defeated sigh, the man took out his knife and cut the ropes binding Vanille's wrists.  
Once she was free, Vanille wasted no time in jumping up and wrapping her arms around Lightning's neck. The young monarch grunted uncomfortably and cleared her throat, trying to decrease the amount of awkwardness she felt at the moment.

She pat the younger woman's back. "Vanille…I need to breathe, please." Right away the handmaiden pulled away but kept her hands on Lightning's shoulders.

"It is really you!" Vanille could not help the crack in her voice or the emotional tone. The queen nodded. "Yes. It is me. Vanille, where are the others? Are they…?"  
At those words, the redhead jumped. "I nearly forgot! The others are waiting for me! I must have kept them waiting!" She grabbed Lightning's hand and pulled her along.

Lightning groaned then yanked at Noctis' sleeve, hauling him along just as Vanille was doing to her. The prince grunted and stumbled before glaring at Lightning who returned the expression. As they hurried on, they left the men and Old Man Bal in the dust.

* * *

"Where is she?" Fang paced restlessly. "Vanille should have been back by now; she is always on time!" She exclaimed as she banged her fists on the wooden table, startling Serah.

The young Farron shook her head. "Calm yourself, Fang. I am sure Vanille is all right; she knows how to handle herself well enough." Fang huffed and looked out of the window once again. "I swear if she does not get here within the next minute I will tear down this town until I find her." Fang swore, hitting the wall with her fist.

"Oh Fang! There is no need to do that!" Vanille's voice rang in everyone's ears. The party turned to see Vanille smiling brightly at them, and along with her were Lightning and Noctis.

Serah got up and ran to her sister, tackling her in the same way Vanille had. "Lightning! Oh Sister! I knew you would not die easily!" Lightning stroked her younger sibling's hair. "Forgive me, Serah." The queen kissed the top of Serah's head apologetically and her hands rubbed her back soothingly.  
Fang shook her head at Vanille and tapped her forehead. "You worried me to death! Now what do you have to say for yourself, eh?" The handmaiden blushed in embarrassment before Fang sighed. "Go ahead and clean yourself up, little one."

Once Vanille left the room, the general turned to the queen. Lightning kept a steady hold on Serah. Fang glared at her friend before pulling her arm back and punching Lightning's face.

The entire room gasped but to their surprise, Lightning chuckled and wiped her face with her wrist. "Thank you, Fang. I am sorry for making you worry so much." Fang shrugged nonchalantly. "Just try not to turn this into a habit; I do not wish to have a heart attack at such a young age." Fang chuckled at her own joke. Lightning sighed. "No promises."

Giovanni laughed, relieved that all seemed to be well once again. He looked at Noctis and cleared his throat. "My son? Is there something troubling you?" Noctis looked at his father then frowned. "It is not of your concern." He dismissed with a wave of a hand; he did not feel like sharing any sentimental moments.

"You face is fully healed! Thank Etro." Serah said, taking in Lightning's smooth features; her face now lacked the large gashes that had been obtained from the gigantic silver lobo. Lightning nodded stiffly. "And you, Serah? How are you?" She asked. The younger sister lowered her head. "I had sent a message to Palumpolum not too long ago, just to reassure Snow that I was all right. I had heard that my absence had caused quite a stir…"

"Understandable. I also hope that husband of yours knows that you intend to stay hidden until further notice…?" Lightning stared down at Serah and her sibling nodded. "Yes. I mentioned it in my note. We have been sending messages back and forth by messenger birds."

Noctis looked at Serah. "So that way it might not be too obvious that you are communicating with allies, correct?" He was answered with a nod.

"Damn that Caius! Because of him the chaos will spread and infect everything in Bodhum!" Fang cursed loudly just as Vanille reappeared now dressed in fresh clothes.  
Lightning leaned against the wall, deep in thought. Noctis yawned loudly and did not bother to smother the sound. These matters are of no concern to him anyway. Fang seemed to take offense but refrained herself from attacking the prince.

For now they were all safe by taking refuge in Dead Dunes but if things continued the way they did, who knew what else could happen to either them or the rest of the Farron kingdom. And if they waited too long to make their next move, the rest of the dark kingdoms were sure to follow Caius and overtake the rest of the Alliance. Lightning's eyes widened. "Serah, fetch me some paper! Fang, I need you to be ready to give a few letters to some messenger birds."  
As the young queen moved over to the desk as Serah provided several parchments and Vanille placed a quill and ink pot on the table.

"What is this all about?" Fang wondered out loud. Noctis shrugged, not sure himself.

Serah and Vanille looked over Lightning's shoulders as she wrote at a hurried pace. "What exactly is it you plan to do, Sister?" "I assume that Caius believes me to still be dead, or at least missing. If they remain ignorant of the truth there is a chance that we may be able to liberate Bodhum. But it will not be as simple as just charging in to surprise them." Lightning explained.  
Fang groaned, "Make some sense, woman!" Lightning rolled her eyes but did not cease her writings. "I plan to alert the Alliance of our presence however the news will only be known to the rulers alone."

"So you plan to send out letters to each king and queen of the Alliance by messenger birds?" Vanille asked, wondering if she got that part correct.

Lightning nodded. "Yes, but not all of them. Only a chosen few." "And who might those be?" Giovanni asked, intrigued. Lightning stared at what she wrote before answering, "To Cloud and Tifa of Nibelheim, and to Squall and Rinoa of Balamb. Those four are the ones who I wish to inform the most; the others of the Alliance will receive a different notice. I will also send word to Nifleheim that Lord Giovanni is well." Lightning then handed three letters to Fang. Her general looked skeptical. "I hope you know what you are doing…"

The young queen stood up from the desk. "The details they need to know are written in the letters. It is important that it reaches them." Fang nodded in understanding and left.

"My plan is simple; I let it be known to the chosen rulers that we intend to meet with them. Once we have gathered we can initiate contact with the rest of the Alliance while also making sure the Cruor Mucro remains in the dark." Lightning explained, pacing the room slowly.  
Giovanni placed a hand under his chin in thought. "It could work. But another issue is how to travel to Nibelheim and then Balamb without drawing attention to ourselves."

"Not everyone is familiar with our faces so it should not be too much of a problem for us to find transportation. However there is also the matter of the possibilities that some men from the dark armies may have been sent to blend in with common society in order to catch a glimpse of us and report our whereabouts to their lords." Lightning said. Her demeanor was once again that of a queen, and one who was determined to win her homeland back at all costs while taking cautious steps.

Fang returned shortly, reporting that three messenger birds had been sent on their way to deliver Lightning's message. The young queen nodded in approval.

"So then…how shall we do this?" Fang asked, seeming eager for some excitement to begin. Lightning pinned her with a look to remind her to remain patient. "I suggest we travel to Nibelheim first, and once the Lord and Lady Strife have met with us then we should have no trouble reaching Balamb wither their aid," Lightning paused for a moment to think, "… Lord Giovanni I think it would be best if you returned to your own kingdom while the rest of us carry out this plan."

The aging king looked surprised. "She is right, Sire." Vanille agreed, "In your current condition it might be bad for you should we encounter any casualties." Giovanni sighed and ran a hand down his sleeked-back hair. "I suppose I cannot argue with that. However, let me provide assistance from my palace to aid you all." Lightning agreed, "Fair enough."

Serah twiddled her thumbs. "We just only met again and already we must plan…"

Lightning looked at her sister. "Forgive me Serah, but you must realize the urgency of our situation." She said, trying not to sound too stern. But Serah shook her head. "No, Lightning. I meant I just got you back, but because of the pinch we are in I may lose you again. It all feels like events are moving too fast, too soon and I have not even managed to stop to catch my breath."  
Guilt crawled its way into Lightning's stomach. She approached Serah who sat on one of the beds and kneeled before her. "You must understand that I am more concerned with your safety and everyone's wellbeing more than my throne. If I had to choose, I would choose to keep you safe over having my throne."

Serah frowned. "Do not say such things, Sister!" "I know what I am saying Serah." Lightning reassured, taking her younger sister's hands in hers. "Yes, I know that but…that is what troubles me. I do not want to live in a safe world if it means you would not be there. What kind of world is that?"

Noctis felt his heart stop as he listened to the sisters' exchange. His father as well as Fang and Vanille watched in silence as the Farrons spoke. However Noctis could feel the strange surge of emotions blast through his body once again.  
Was it fear that he felt? Was it worry? Was it annoyance or hatred? He was not sure but he was certain it might be a combination of all those emotions, creating a more confusing feeling that he cannot put into words or actions despite how strong it was beginning to grow in him.

"Do you doubt me, Serah?" Lightning asked, sincerity written in her eyes.

The younger Farron shook her head. "I trust you more than anything Sister. But I do not want to hear you say things like that. I know you would risk yourself for the kingdom, for _me_ as well, but that is not how I want it. I would want to see a better world by your side; even with Snow there with me every step of the way, it would still not be complete without you."  
Lightning kept her gaze on Serah. "I am strong, Serah. I will not die and you know this." "But do _you_?" Serah questioned seriously.

Instead of responding, Lightning stroked her sister's hair comfortingly, a rather surprising gesture to see from the young iron-hearted queen of Bodhum.

Noctis swallowed. He felt like he needed to escape, if he did not he might fall under the influence of the gentle scene before him. He was desperate to avoid this strange emotion at all costs, desperate to run away from Lightning Farron. Another part of him wanted another taste of her but he ruthlessly denied that side of him, reminding himself that he was to never give himself to another woman. He wanted to hold on despite the voice in his head reminding him that nothing had been real and even if he wished it to be, it would change nothing.

He wanted to leave, get away and escape while he still had the chance and the desire to roam free as he pleased, but he was rooted on the spot, taking in Lightning's secret, tender side. She had shown much concern in her eyes when she had seen Vanille held captive under false assumptions and even allowed the younger woman to wrap her arms around her neck without trying to push her away. She showed her tender side when Fang hit her and merely thanked the huntress who in return forgave Lightning for the worries and heartaches. Even with Noctis' own father, Giovanni she showed concern for his wellbeing despite how it did not seem obvious enough.

And now she showed it even more with her sister, Serah. Noctis knew Serah was the most crucial piece in Lightning's life. She would step down from her throne and rank if it meant keeping Serah safe and the younger Farron worries for her older sister as well. She was determined to keep Lightning by her side and to stay by Lightning's side. It was natural because they were sisters. But their bond ran deeper than most siblings.

Noctis had expected—had _wanted_ Lightning to show her more merciless and ruthless side. He had wanted Lightning to show her most dark persona, because if she did then he would have an excuse not to remain close to her, and to dislike her.

Instead she was here being not just a queen but a loving and devoted sister and friend. This was not how Noctis wanted it to turn out. He had compared Stella's sweet and loving nature to Lightning's collected and cold persona, compared how Stella knew how to love and touch him while Lightning knew nothing of the sort and perhaps never will.  
His mind kept telling him that none of Stella's loving nature had been real but instead they were mere tricks to weaken his resolve around her. But he wanted to continue seeing her that way, continue claiming that Stella was beautiful inside and out so that he would not have to feel so drawn to Lightning. It was cowardly but it was the only way.

Giovanni noticed his son's distressed expression. He wanted to embrace his son and comfort him but he knew that Noctis would only push him away.

Lightning had been gracious to his son despite how withdrawn and overshadowed he was. Giovanni prayed to see his son's true face again for even a brief second. Because the man that was standing in this very room was not Noctis Lucis Caelum; it was instead a man who had been scorned and now lusts for punishment, a glutton for pain. This was not how Noctis truly was.

* * *

Noctis had been trying hard to avoid any sort of contact with Lightning but was beginning to see that it was nearly impossible when he found her reuniting with Odin at the stables that was right next to their temporary residence.

They had moved their belongings—or rather, their cloaks—and opted to stay with Serah and the others. Lightning had then revealed that she had kept Fabula Nove Crystallis underneath her cloak, much to Fang's amusement.

Lightning gently caressed her steed's snout, whispering words to him which earned her a gentle nudge from Odin. The horse snorted quietly and lovingly nuzzled his queen.  
"You are still every bit of the wild horse I knew since we first met. I am…glad." Lightning admitted and Odin neighed in appreciation. His pure white mane and tail was a contrast against his pure black body but it was what made him unique and beautiful, and Lightning knew that well.

She stroked Odin's neck before exiting the stables after promising to visit him again later.

Noctis pressed himself against the side of the stable but Lightning sensed him there. "Enough games, Noctis. You are a little too old for that now." The prince frowned at her. "I wish you would stop appearing wherever I turn." He growled. Lightning humphed and crossed her arms. "I could say the same thing to you as well."  
She walked off, leaving him alone. Noctis felt his chest tighten both in irritation and fascination; he was hopelessly drawn to Lightning though he wished he wasn't. He would wish for it more than once but the gods seem to enjoy tormenting him.

Lightning was no better. She had begun to feel unusual and unlike herself ever since the prince touched her in such a way the other night and at the inn at the settlement. Her lips were beginning to crave for another touch, another taste of him.  
She was curious and confused, now more and ever. If there was a cure for the strange heat inside her she could gladly take the remedy but she was not naïve to believe that there was such a thing. Noctis' face was beginning to haunt her in her sleep and it only led to more questions, questions she did not dare ask advice for.

Even now she could still feel, smell the blood of her enemies on her hands. Throughout her life she had fell many foes, spoken words that were for those way beyond her years. Despite the success, despite the title and power she had, Lightning knew that deep inside no matter what she did she would always feel empty.

She could easily defeat an entire battalion single-handedly if she needed to but nothing could ever fill the empty void that had emerged and grown inside of her heart. Feeling empty was one of the only emotions she knew how to feel. She felt pain, sorrow, and emptiness. She envied Noctis for being able to experience other feelings that she had been unable to. He had loved; he had felt happiness, hurt, heartbreak, and even solace at times. He had more than she could ever hope to have. It pained her to watch him let it all go to waste for a mere image conjured by the Cruor Mucro's smoke-and-mirriors.

Noctis had a father still, and that was another reason Lightning envied him. Until now she wondered what it felt like to be in the arms of a father or mother. And she knew Serah felt the same.

Even still, this strange warmth that was burning her every sense kept Lightning awake at night because the confusion would not let her sleep for even a second. Even should she closed her eyes, she would see Noctis in her sleep; which was odd in her opinion.  
She opened and closed her fists, recalling the feeling of his hard muscles underneath her fingers all due to an accidental step. Again, her lips seem to ache with want and desire for contact.

The young queen shook her head. This confusion was going to be the death of her.

* * *

**I will end it here for now.**

**Hey guys sorry for the delay; I have been really busy lately but I am glad I still manage to spend some free time writing.**

**News about Lightning Returns—for those who have not heard yet—there is a character known as Lumina who looks a lot like Serah but she takes the role of "friendly nemesis" by aiding Lightning or just getting in her way. It was said that Lumina sees Lightning as something to be toyed with. Sounds like Lightning have a bully in her life already.**

**Dead Dunes was revealed to be the name of the desert area in Lightning Returns, which is why I called the town in this chapter Dead Dunes. And the more green fields-like area is said to be called "Wildlands."**

**Noel makes an appearance in an extended trailer, looking the same as always except he has white streaks in his hair now, his weapon is black and he picks a fight with Lightning, under the impression that she was not the real Lightning at all.**

**It seems that Novus Partus has been renamed as well. It was changed from Novus Partus to ****Nova Chrysalia (some had it written as "Crystalia" so I am not sure which spelling is official). I am not sure why they did that but at least it still sounds pretty cool.**

**Two of Lightning's costumes had been named. "Dark Muse", and "Shadow Dust". Dark Muse is the alternate outfit you see Lightning wear in the trailer during some of the battle gameplay, Shadow Dust is said be samurai-like in appearance.**

**I also want to announce that while in the middle or writing this, I will be working on another story which was also a drabble from Chronicles.  
A friend of mine wanted to make a comic version of the "Star Players" arc and because of that I decided to make "Star Players" (will most likely be renamed like Sanctuaire was) into the next full story. The reason for this is because if the comic were to come out rather than the original first then it would seem rather inconsistent. **

**Not to worry I will still work on Sanctuaire as always. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter because I had fun making it! Like always feel free to ask questions if anything confuses you or if you wish to confirm something.**

**And with that, I will see you guys again soon in the next chapter I write.**

**Until then…**


	24. Chapter XXIV: Primoris Erroris

**Disclaimer:**** Hey readers! Glad you guys are enjoying, especially since things between Lightning and Noctis is beginning to intensify, not to mention more characters are going to start popping up.**

**I haven't been in the best of moods lately since a lot of things have been going that just makes me want to blow it up with a grenade, but writing helps me calm down so I guess I am feeling a little bit better. Anyway enough with the heavy stuff. Time for more Sanctuaire!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXIV:**** Primoris Erroris**

All was soon arranged after Lightning had sent her message off to the two kingdoms she had wished to notify. Dead Dunes proved to be a safe enough haven to everyone, provided that none of them had been caught outside at night and robbed by bandits.  
Fang had been impatient at times but she knew better than to decide to just charge in through Bodhum's gates while the enemy had it conquered—she was not like the reckless prince.

Lightning remained by Serah's side for most of the days, continuously training her sister even harder. The younger Farron never complained and did her best to keep up with Lightning's training. She still have yet to master using arrows created by magic rather than regular arrows; it proved difficult indeed and Serah only managed to hold the image of the arrows for only a mere few seconds. Lightning had encouraged her that she was starting to make progress but Serah was determined to get it right.

The young Farron inhaled calmly and pulled the string of her bow back. Her arm ached with how long she had been training and holding her position. Serah concentrated until an arrow of white light materialized on her bow.

Unknown to her, Lightning stood nearby, keeping sentry over her sibling as she trained. Lightning was impressed with how long Serah had been training despite the heat of the desert town; every one of them had exchanged their long cloaks for simpler tunics without sleeves. It was more refreshing and allowed them to move about without having to worry about burning in the heat.

Serah tried not to lose her grip and struggled to keep her aim steady but her arms were beginning to feel tired from all the strain. Until she was able to fully materialize the arrow, Serah let go. The white arrow flew forwards but vanished before it could hit its target.

She groaned in dismay then heard a deep chuckle. Serah turned and blushed upon seeing her sister standing in the shade watching her. Lightning approached and placed a hand on Serah's head. "You did even better than before. Soon it will be easy for you to summon arrows without having to exert this much effort." "But why did the arrow…?" Serah trailed off in her words and looked over her shoulder towards where the arrow simply vanished.

"You are tired, Sister. You have already spent much energy training for hours; it is about time you rest." Lightning explained as she ushered Serah towards the shade. "You did well; I think you deserve a break now." The queen said, stroking her sister's hair gently. With a tired sigh, Serah sat back against the palm tree and relaxed.

The party had gone to the oasis to train; it was a convenient spot since it provided them with space and water to drink as well as the shades of the trees should anyone of them needed to rest.

Fang sat there on the sand close to the water. "Hmph. Dead Dunes is convenient but I cannot stand staying here for longer than we have to be," She grumbled. Lightning kneeled beside Fang and closed her eyes to meditate.  
"This may take time, Fang. But remember as long as we remain anonymous the Cruor Mucro should not be able to suspect. Let them feel that they are in control and once they become too dependent on it, we take that power away, leaving them helpless and open to attack." Lightning said sagely, keeping her eyes closed. Despite the heat she meditated rather well.

Vanille joined Serah under the shade. "You did really well, Serah. That arrow looked amazing." Serah blushed shyly. "Thank you Vanille. I nearly perfect it, didn't I?" "Most certainly!" Vanille exclaimed in excitement, "Next time you will not need to worry about losing arrows. I'd say it would lighten your load." Serah nodded in agreement to Vanille's words.

The two of them watched as Fang and Lightning meditated by the water, seemingly unbothered by the sun's blinding rays and heat. Though they could see sweat forming on their bodies and dripping down their chin and sliding down their arms. Serah smiled; she liked what her sister was now wearing, it looked rather nice on her.

Lightning was currently dressed in rugged brownish-green tunic with no sleeves. Her upper right arm was shaded by a brown cloth that hung from the shoulder of the tunic, her breeches were the same color as the tunic and around the left side of her waist hung a brown pouch while on the right was a thick brown sash, almost like the feather sash on her silver armor. The short boots on her feet were black and her breeches matched the color of her tunic as well. Across her chest was a brown belt that went all the way to the cloth on her shoulder.  
A round golden emblem with a maiden's face was pinned onto the belt with a smaller one in the middle of the belt that had a pouch at the bottom. At Vanille's insistence, Lightning wore three bracelets on her right wrist while her left hand up to her forearm was covered in a black glove with no fingers, on her left arm; around her bicep was a white wrapping. And finally, a brown rugged and torn cape hung down the left side of her back.

Lightning looked like she fit right in with the rest of Dead Dunes. Serah giggled; it seems her sister can wear just about any garment and look splendid in it. Though her older sister did not want to wear the bracelets Vanille had insisted on it, saying that her right arm looked too empty since only her left hand had a glove.

The young queen was uncomfortable with such accessories on her wrist but came to ignore it altogether, and much to Vanille's delight, she never bothered to take them off.

Noctis kept a distance from Lightning and her friends. Despite the fact that he had gotten to know them a bit more he still refused to be too near the young queen.  
Giovanni watched his son, unsure of what to do with his unruly son. As a father he wanted nothing more than to erase the darkness and pain from his son's heart. It was truly unfair.

The prince kept staring at the four women but his eyes kept falling on Lightning over and over again. He did not know why he could not stop looking at her, glaring at her… No matter what his expression or emotion was his eyes would always fall on her. Fall on Lightning.  
How he despised what he had become, betraying his own vow for the queen of Bodhum; and what made it worse was the fact that Lightning did nothing wrong. There was nothing she did that he could place blame on, but he wanted to blame her anyway like how he blamed everyone else in the world.

But day by day he was finding it difficult to place any blame on Lightning no matter how much he wanted to hate her.

In frustration, Noctis ran a hand through his messy spiked hair. He had come along with everyone else to the oasis to train but he kept losing focus no matter what he did. His sights would always fall on Lightning as she trained with her sister, even when she meditated with Fang. In the end the prince gave up trying to train; the distraction was too much for him to bear.  
He thought of transforming into the wolf but he was not stupid enough to frighten the population or give away their current position to the enemy; he was stuck with them and as long as they were out of sight from the enemy so would he.

He had thought of escaping into the night but Lightning would always be awake either to stand watch or because she simply could not sleep. Fang too would remain awake; ever the general of Bodhum's army, she would keep a firm sentry until Lightning took her place. There were also times when Giovanni would stand watch at the window or Serah staying awake to talk with her sister.

All in all, his idea to escape would be in vain due to the night watches. They had all decided to keep watch over their residence in case the dark army or the bandits of the desert decided to break in. In the event that either party would decide to break in and raid a home, Lightning and the others would be awakened by whoever was keeping watch and escape before anyone notices.  
It was a brilliant idea to keep them secure for the night, but at the same time Noctis disliked the idea since the negative effect would be that his escape could easily be detected. Fang and Lightning were the most dangerous due to their extremely keen senses.

So reluctantly Noctis gave in and remained with them. However his desire to leave everything and everyone behind did not slip from his mind.

Lightning opened her eyes and stood up. She placed her hand above her eyes as she looked upwards; the sun was high in the sky now and it was growing hotter. She returned to the shade while Fang decided to stay there a while longer.  
Vanille and Serah stood up as Lightning came to them. They requested permission to explore more of Dead Dunes to which Lightning allowed with a simple nod. She cautioned them and they understood before they went off, leaving Lightning alone under the shade of the tree.

The young queen rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the sweat coating her skin. Oddly enough her tunic did not seem to be affected by the heat and sweat. Perhaps this kind of clothing was useful after all. And it was much easier to move around under the heat with what she was currently wearing rather than her white battered cloak and hood.

She glanced to the side to see Lord Giovanni resting himself with Noctis sitting on the soft sand a few feet away. One could easily mistake the prince for a lone wolf—considering he took the form of a wolf at will—but Lightning knew better. She perceived the prince as an introvert instead; he kept to himself and most likely did not socialize as much due to perhaps a shy nature?  
It was Lightning's best guess at the very least. She knew Noctis to be someone who was arrogant, sad, angry, confused, and all but given up on life. But knowing what had made him this way was a dead giveaway to the fact that this was not his true nature.

She had heard stories of Prince Noctis, of how charming of a gentleman he was. Although said to be a shy sort of man he was everything a woman would love in a man; strong, tall, dark, and handsome. Lightning scoffed. What kind of standards did these ladies follow? Were those four factors all they look for in a male figure? It was shallow in her opinion.

Perhaps she was just abnormal? She never did mingle much or fit in with other refined ladies despite her title as queen. Instead she remained on the royal seat during balls or staying behind in a corner or even spending all her time out on the balcony until she was needed inside. The rose garden below the balcony was also a wonderful refuge for her during such formal events.

It reminded Lightning that she had never met or encountered Noctis in any of the balls or events before. Only Giovanni had attended but never Noctis. It made Lightning curious about how the prince was when in a ball. Was he as 'charming' as most people claimed before his heart was taken by the darkness of sorrow? She may never know but at least she knew the prince was not truly a dark and gloomy individual. At least she hoped so.  
Even Giovanni had once admitted to her that he had not always been this way until the raid from three years ago. Lightning then wondered if it truly was hard to let the past go even after all those years.

She was beginning to view Noctis in a rather different way now, in a physical way at least. To her he was still an arrogant buffoon who throws his life away so easily as if it were nothing but rotten meat. However her eyes seem to be hallucinating whenever she would look at him, even if it were just a glimpse.

To her dismay he was beginning to resemble an Adonis with his perfectly sculpted male body which she had on a few occasions accidentally touched when she what she had been trying to do was avoid such contact; she could tell Noctis was doing the same thing but was as unsuccessful as she was. Lightning wondered if her eyes had been injured during her battle with Caius and Sephiroth when they attacked her with the flare spell; it was unusual for her to notice a man in such a way no matter how daringly and devilishly handsome they were.

She had always been more concerned with the kingdom's affairs, Serah's wellbeing and her people's needs. There had been no need to admire the bodies of men—it was nothing but a simple and shallow game that women with nothing else to do play to pass the time.

Lightning had tried to deny her curious thoughts and her body's involuntary attempts to move closer to Noctis to try and see what else there was to learn. But she refused to let herself do so. She was a full-grown woman, a queen not a child of three years.  
When she had been young it was natural for her to curiously follow the prince everywhere when she first saw him and his three friends. She had wondered what and who they were; they were like her, smaller than adults but they were bigger than her and seemed to know more words.

But now at this age Lightning need not act in such a way. She was not a child—the moment she took the throne she was no longer a child.

Her chest tightened whenever she would look at him now and she worried it might distract her one day. She tried to take calm breaths before looking away from the prince and his father.  
Fang was now taking a break, splashing cold water from the oasis all over herself. Lightning leaned back on her arms and wondered what Serah and Vanille were doing at the moment. Hopefully they were not up to any mischief as they usually do when they were children and Lightning had always been the witness to every prank they played. She had seen them plan it, engage it, and then saw them flee the scene.

Though she admitted it had been amusing most of the time despite the little disasters they created and left trailing behind them.

Unable to sit back for much longer, Lightning to her feet and headed off in the direction Vanille and Serah had gone. She signaled at Fang and the general nodded at her in response. The tattered cape trailed behind Lightning as she went.  
She walked past Giovanni and Noctis, not sparing them a glance. Noctis huffed and tried to ignore the smell of her hair as a slight breeze blew past, sending the scent into his nostrils. He swallowed hard and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The tempting scent of the queen seemed to even lure the wolf to her; at the moment Noctis felt like the his wolf—his other half—wanted to rush back into the town where Lightning had gone and chase her while on all four paws. He would follow her seductive scent and then—

Noctis gasped and choked on his own breathing. What in the world had he been thinking? Even his wolf side desired and lusted after her now. He had thought the wolf was more reasonable, smarter, and willing to stay away from anyone or attack them should they threaten him. He had trusted the wolf to be the only thing that would keep him safe from dangers such as this but even that was failing him as well. Why must everyone and everything let him down?  
But now he could feel the wolf inside him was slowly turning into nothing but a dog that was rolling onto its back, showing its belly as a sign of submission. Submission to Lightning Farron no doubt.

But Noctis refused to allow himself to do so. He will not relent no matter how tempting, how delicious her lips were. Even the wolf would never have the chance to run to Lightning and wag his tail at her.

Still, it was like his body and soul was craving for more and even more still. The more he denied, the more the desire grew but he refused to break his own vow.  
At that thought, his body seemed to react rather violently in protest. He suddenly felt the urge to turn into the wolf and rush to Lightning's side, and taste her. Noctis grit his sharpening teeth as his primal side began transforming him slowly, starting with his teeth which were now partially resembling fangs.

Giovanni had been watching his son for some time now and the more he observed the more he noticed that Queen Lightning had made an impact on Noctis whether he wanted it or not.

The king knew his son was in no pain; he was merely resisting something that was moving inside of him, perhaps changing him in some ways. All he could do was watch and not interfere. His son and the young queen were grown adults; they did not need any assistance from him or anyone else unless there was a desperate need for aid.

Somehow Noctis had resisted his wolfish desires and had settled back to his normal state. It had been irritating and difficult to remove Lightning from his mind but within an instant the image of her face appeared again. But this time the wolf was kept under control.  
How much more? How much longer did he have to suffer this way? If he left now he would be without burden, and certainly without a desire for Lightning's taste.

Even now he could feel his heart drumming from within his chest, beating like a powerful quake spell that was threatening to burst out of him. He loved someone else and he still does, but this strange beating of his heart was something he had never felt before—entirely new to him.

Never in those past three years did his heart react this way. Usually whenever he saw his lady love his heart would jump up and down but right now it was trembling like an earthquake inside him. Was he finally falling apart and heading towards death? Or was it something else that he had no noticed before? He was not sure what to make of it.

Giving up, Noctis got up and dusted his breeches off before he returned to the town. Giovanni got up as well but joined Fang instead.

* * *

Lightning found her sister and Vanille taking a look at several merchandises on display at some of the stalls. She approached them and they greeted her while asking her opinion on the material of the carpet they were looking at.

To the merchant's surprise, Lightning knew the material used to make the carpet. She complimented the merchant for his honest work. "To be honest it is hard obtaining the real thing especially with how things are now." The man said. Lightning nodded slightly, "That is understandable. But continue honest work and you may get far; your items are indeed of good quality despite the hardships you mentioned."

Vanille and Serah grinned at one another and the merchant blushed. "I…well… Thank you for the kind words, Miss…?"

Lightning turned on her heel. "Vanille, Serah, remember to return to our residence before it gets dark." Without another word she left the two younger women. Serah giggled and Vanille gave the merchant a reassuring look. "She does not like talking about herself." She said. It was part of the truth. After all, Lightning was a solitary woman who keeps quiet about many things concerning herself.

The young queen spent most of her time strolling about. But even then she made sure to be aware of her surroundings; she refused to be caught daydreaming and wandering off like a lost lamb.

She paused for a moment, her senses on high alert. For a long while it felt as if she was watched but she relaxed upon realizing that it was nothing worth worrying over.  
Lightning knew the prince was following her again, for what reason she had no idea. The man clearly despised her and yet he would trail after her. Was he that eager for a fight with her? Shrugging it off, she continued her walk, aware that Noctis would be behind her at a distance. She would allow him to think that he was invincible. For now.

Noctis kept behind her at a few feet away, far enough to follow behind without being noticed. He tensed when she'd pause to take in her surroundings before she continued walking. Still, he knew better than to underestimate her senses; she either noticed him or perhaps she was aware she was being followed did not know it was him.

Either way, he continued to follow. But truth to be told, he did not know why he suddenly decided to stalk her steps. Perhaps the wolf inside him wanted to know something, needed to learn something. Whatever it was he hoped it was worthwhile because he had argued with himself for so long before he had made up his mind on what his next move should be.

He steeled himself mentally, hoping he actually knew what he was doing but it seems that it was his instincts that were taking over rather than his mind.

"How long do you plan to follow my every step?" Lightning called out to him. Noctis mentally cursed; so she _did_ know he was there. Giving up on silently following, he moved closer until he was a mere feet away. The two of them glared at one another, neither saying a word to spite the other. Lightning was not in the mood to argue with him and he was not in the mood to be outsmarted by Lightning's politician tongue.

"There was nothing better for me to do." Noctis said with a huff, though at the back of his mind his conscious contradicted him by reminding him that he was just saying it as an excuse. Noctis did not like it in the least bit.

Lightning did not seem to believe him but she left it be. She did not feel like retorting back at Noctis or waste her breath arguing with him in general. Noctis did not want to either but his bruised pride was keeping him from closing his mouth but this time he managed to control himself.  
The queen continued her wanderings with Noctis following at a distance but they refused to speak yet again. There were times that they felt as if they understood each other more when they were silent but they—especially Noctis—wanted none of these strange special feelings. Whatever it was.

Dead Dunes was rather interesting for a desert town. It was a shame that it was constantly being plagued by raids from simple thieves who were only able to intimidate the residence with their numbers and equipment.

When Fang had explained to Lightning about the thieves who ran amok at night, Lightning knew they were nothing but ruffians who managed to frighten hard-working honest people because they spoke so loudly and ran about swinging dangerous weapons like mindless baboons. And there were many of them. But despite that if their cowardice was exploited then for certain they will refrain from attacking Dead Dunes, at least for a while.  
Fang had thought it would be a good idea to fight the thieves but Lightning decided to keep that idea back for a while; she had agreed that fighting the ruffians might be the best idea since they might need to move about at night, but now was not the time.

Lightning hated waiting for too long and just like Fang she could be quite impatient as well. But if she did not watch her steps she was sure that every one of them would fall into the pit of a trap or a monster's belly. As much as her impatient side hated it, she had to tread carefully.

Noctis was another matter; with the way he was he could be entirely reckless and not just impatient. If he were to step outside at night while bandits ran amok it was most certain that he would challenge them to a fight no matter what the odds. That could cost them all everything, and most likely the revelation of their identities as well. Because this fact, Lightning was determined to keep an eye on the prince while ignoring the strange dizzying feeling she had whenever she looked at him.

It made no sense to her. Noctis was just a man. A man in denial who loved pain and punishment, so why did a mere look at his face sends her head spiraling about?

However she was unaware that Noctis too felt like his mind had entered the great beyond whenever his eyes caught sight of her. He was not sure what it meant; the feelings of love he had when Stella had been alive were much different, simpler. But Lightning was unknowingly coaxing out strange calamities from inside of his chest.

Noctis risked a glance at Lightning and took in her new clothing. It looking surprisingly good on her like it was meant to fit her. She blended in so well, much to his surprise. Noctis had always expected that most of royalty would be more than uncomfortable with common clothing but Lightning seemed all too comfortable. She did not fidget or grimace at what she was wearing. Instead she walked about as if she had worn this strange samurai-like garment all her life. It was slightly impressive…perhaps.

Lightning scoffed. She was beginning to feel restless again. There was nothing else to do except to remain anonymous and wait for a while longer. Suddenly her eyes stared at the structures of the houses and other objects around her.  
Making up her mind, Lightning turned back towards the areas she had walked by before. Noctis raised an eyebrow at her but he followed behind, wondering what she was up to if she was going back. Lightning had proved herself to be unpredictable.

He continued to watch her every move but was stunned when she began climbing some of the houses. She moved so fast she could have been a creature that lived within the confines of the trees.

Lightning began running across the rooftops, jumping from roof to roof without even stumbling. The prince grunted and climbed up the house just as she did then made a dash forward to catch up to her. Soon he was not too far behind. Lightning glanced over her shoulder at him and at that very instant the fires of their competitive nature began to burn.

Noctis picked up his speed and quickly gained on Lightning but she moved even faster, living up to her given name.

Confusing him for a moment, Lightning turned to another direction and made a far jump. She grabbed onto a wooden pole and slid down. Noctis refused to be outdone by a woman and followed the path she took, moving just as fast and smoothly as she did.  
The queen ran towards the wall of the tavern and immediately she ran up the walls and back onto the rooftops again. With a grunt, Noctis jumped and landed right behind her and sprinted off with her still not giving up her position as first.

A gap between two ledges on the side of the structure appeared before the two monarchs.

Lightning did not stop for a moment but instead of jumping the gap she slid to the side of the wall and ran across. Noctis' eyes widened; Lightning was capable of a wall-run as well? It seems she had not been showing her true potential the whole time he had seen her fight, nor did she show that she was capable of freerunning. But then again, he too had been holding back his own true potential.

In a burst of speed he sprinted, easily running along the wall to reach the queen again. Lightning was impressed; the prince did seem to have some fire in him after all. Interesting…  
She smirked, deciding it was time she showed her true nature when faced with a physical challenge. Be it a battle or a simple competition of speed.

Both prince and queen leapt from roof to roof, ignoring any passerby who may have noticed them.

At the rate of how fast they were going, they were certain that their ears were already ringing from the gusts of wind that was hitting their face due to their incredibly impressive bursts of speed. Their feet looked as if they were not even touching solid surface and looked like they were both flying. Their jumps were high and their physical prowess was nothing short of perfect.

Lightning looked elegant, graceful as she leapt into the air, while Noctis looked divine with his form flying upwards to reach the queen's level. They looked almost god-like.

Finally deciding that Lightning was indeed a challenging competitor, Noctis had no qualms about using his next card. In a flash he disappeared then appeared in front of Lightning. The queen scowled at the prince's teleporting ability but she leapt over his shoulder and got ahead of him once again.  
Quite impressed, Noctis continued to use his teleporting ability; phasing about, left and right, in front or directly behind Lightning. Despite this trick, the young queen managed to remain ahead. The prince huffed.

Soon they found themselves running back to the oasis. They dug their feet into the sand, the skidded to a halt, nearly giving them a whiplash in the process.

As soon as the dust cleared, Lightning and Noctis found themselves staring at each other through narrowed eyes, panting and sweating from their running and running along walls among other things. Lightning recovered and stood up slowly, dusting off her clothes.  
Noctis sighed and did the same. He could feel sweat sliding down the back of his neck and chest, soaking his sleeveless tunic. He groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

He looked at Lightning accusingly and asked his question, "I see you have been hiding your true prowess this whole time. Why?"

Lightning adjusted her single glove. "There was no need for me to use the full extent of my skills. Every encounter I have had would not have been able to stand up to me so easily; I merely gave them a fair fight." Noctis looked at her with disbelief written on his face; was she so confident in her abilities to that extent?  
"It seems you too have been holding back, Prince." She said suddenly. Noctis frowned. "The only reason I did was because there was no need for me to use them. I have no reason to fight for this life, as I had said many times before." He scowled and looked away.

Lightning pressed her pointing finger at Noctis' temple for a second before she flicked him there. The prince let out a surprised yelp then glared at the strawberry-blonde woman before him.

She ignored his dangerous glare and moved towards the water for a drink and to splash her face with the cold liquid. Noctis watched her silently, unwilling to move any closer. He had enjoyed his little competition with her and that was something he hated feeling, but at the same time he knew he had never felt so exhilarated before in his life, not even after he had experienced his 'first love'. This was something new entirely; but he was not sure what it was.

* * *

It was during the late noon that everyone in Dead Dunes began rushing home. The merchants closed their stall hurriedly, making sure not to leave anything behind, especially something valuable.

Everyone shut and locked their doors as well as their windows.

Lightning knew what it meant; the bandits will be arriving soon. She walked back to her residence where everyone awaited her. Noctis followed, glaring at the distance ahead. His keen nose caught the scent of something sinister. He released a wolf growl despite his human form as he cautiously followed Lightning back to their residence.

Once they were inside, Fang locked the doors and stood staring at it. She remained in place, in case the bandits decided to be bold and break into homes on this night.

Serah and Vanille did their best to lift everyone's spirits with a lovely dinner. Fang had been reluctant to leave her post but could not resist the thought of meals cooked by Vanille and Serah. Giovanni had smiled and joined them at the table.  
Lightning sat on one of the beds, reading her book while Noctis remained staring out of the window as the sun began to set and the moon took its place in the sky. Serah looked at the pair with disapproving eyes. She prepared two plates for them and placed it in front of her sister and the prince.

They seemed unwilling to cooperate but Lightning soon gave in, knowing Serah would not take no for an answer. Noctis huffed and hesitantly ate his meal as well.

Vanille kept everyone going by talking the night away with her sunny disposition; even Lightning and Noctis began to visibly relax as they listened to Vanille and Serah's idle chatter that soon turned into a rather amusing banter when Fang joined the conversation.  
Giovanni seemed uncomfortable at first but he was soon smiling again and laughing along. This was the first time in years since he had been around such energetic individuals. The king even provided his own opinions when he thinks he might be needed.

Noctis was rather surprised at how well his father was adjusting to his surroundings. He'd thought by now at his age, Giovanni would be less enthusiastic about being surrounded by such rowdy company. It was also a surprise that Lightning Farron, the stern, solitary and icy queen actually associated with such company.

Lightning volunteered to clean the plates for them despite the protests. Fang jumped up, deciding to join the queen in doing the chore.

"I nearly forgot; the messenger birds have returned not too long ago with replies from the rulers of Nibelheim and Balamb." Fang said as she washed the plates. Lightning raised an eyebrow. "That was rather quick of them…" She commented, not expecting to receive an answer so soon.

It was rather comfortable and calming to know that everyone had just about recovered from any injuries they might have obtained. Giovanni felt his torso and no dull pain invaded his senses. He nodded to himself in satisfaction before he asked if any of the women were hurt as well.  
Fang smirked and proudly showed off her healing arm. Lightning rolled her eyes as she joined Serah's side. The younger Farron had admitted to being struck in the head and her ankle twisted but she had recovered quickly.

Naturally, Lightning had narrowed her eyes when Serah admitted this but her younger sister reassured her all was well now.

Vanille looked out of the window with a worried frown; she was concerned about Odin and the chocobos that were in the stables. If the bandits decided to steal cattle and other animals the town had, then a rare sight such as a horse would surely get their blood boiling with greed. Lightning shook her head. "Odin can take care of himself; he may be my steed but he is still the wild stallion we all met years ago. Not a bit of his aggressive nature has left him." She said confidently.

Soon everyone could hear the sound of loud rumbling. There was no doubt; the bandits were arriving. Fang at the window. A large group on chocobos ran towards the town and as soon as they arrived, the riders dismounted and noisily began running rampant.

Stalls were knocked over and other forgotten objects were either turned over or taken in. The bandits hollered wildly as they enjoyed their evening pillage. No one ever bothered to stop them from the beginning so why stop now? One of the bandits wore heavy armor compared to the others, making his label as leader obvious. He lifted his sword and pointed forward, signaling for his men to advance further into the town for more treasures that could be found.

Fang shook her head at the sight. If only the people of Dead Dunes had more courage to stand up to these bandits; it was obvious they were solely dependent on their intimidating numbers. Their weapons also looked threatening but without them the bandits would be nothing.

Noctis huffed and crossed his arms as he watched the pillaging took place. He pitied the pathetic people of this town who could not even protect their own belongings. It was proof of just how rundown Dead Dunes was despite how calming it was during the day, but at night it was utter disarray. As he continued to watch with the others, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Lightning tensed when she noticed the black smog approaching the town as the bandits ran about. "Chaos! It's entering Dead Dunes!" She exclaimed. Serah gasped when she noticed the black smoky substance as well.

Before anyone else could speak, they heard the slamming of the door. Lightning whipped around and to her and Giovanni's horror they realized that Noctis had gone outside. "What is that fool _doing_?" The young queen grabbed her new sword and ran out the door after the prince.  
Serah and the others looked back out the window to watch but soon they grew too restless to stand by and left their residence as well.

_-XIII-_

Noctis ran out onto the streets and looked left and right. He was sure he had seen it, there was no mistaking it. Again he saw that flash of white and gold among the black. He gasped and followed it, ignoring the screams and yells and hollers of the bandits in the town.

Lightning struggled to reach him but the entire bandit troop descended upon her with their weapons raised. She raised a hand and the thunder spell struck them all at once, clearing her path. But before she could fully catch up to Noctis, her path was barred once again by more of the bandits. She swiped her sword at them, blocking and countering their every attack, desperate to reach Noctis before he got lost in chaos.

Already she could see the black smog surrounding him. She unleashed an aero spell to throw her enemies off to the sides. Lightning got to her feet swiftly and ran after Noctis before she was engulfed by the intense and thick covers of chaos.

She swiped her arms at the smog; the chaos has obstructed her path. "No good…" She muttered under her breath. If she did not move fast, who knows what could happen to Noctis. But just the mere appearance of the chaos was confusing. The only explanation she could come up with is that the chaos that Caius had brought with him into Bodhum must be spreading, and the bandits must have not known that they have been carrying it in the wind to Dead Dunes.

If it continued to spread, if it consumed Noctis it might drag him to Etro knows where. She could not allow that to happen.

She ran through the black substance as it swirled and flew around her. She moved quickly, not allowing the chaos to take hold of her. Lightning narrowed her eyes and looked about; it was hard to see through all the blackness but she continued to run, hoping she had not fallen into the chaos' illusions. It was one of the things that made this black smog dangerous; it created illusions in order to lure one into either a cold embrace of death or to be taken somewhere where nobody knows, never to be found.

"Damn it Noctis Lucis Caelum! You are worth more trouble than you seem!" Lightning cursed but continued along the darkness.

Vaguely she could see Serah and the others rushing to her and Noctis' aid. Bandits attacked them but Giovanni summoned his swords, impaling the enemies he encountered. At the same time his blades swirled around him, protecting him from harm.  
Serah pulled out arrows from her quiver and aimed, striking three bandits right in the chest. Vanille held her own quite well. Her binding rod was gripped tightly in her hands as more enemies ran at her. She threw her arms forward, releasing the wires and hooks of the rod, swiping at the bandits painfully. Fang was swift like the wind and twirled her lance above her head, intimidating her opponents.

Lightning knew they would be fine on their own, so for now she had to concern herself with finding Noctis amongst the chaos that was beginning to engulf her even more. _"You better be still alive, Noctis…"_

_-XIII-_

Noctis moved closer, approaching carefully. He could not believe his eyes; he had thought he was merely seeing things—that he was dreaming while awake. But Stella was right there, standing in front of him and smiling.

He moved slowly, trying not to break the spell between them. He did not hear and hollering or the crashing of objects. There was only silence between them. He moved closer until he was merely a feet away from her. He whispered her name and she smiled in response.  
"I hope I am not dreaming." Noctis said, his eyes beginning to shine like he used to three years ago. "You are not dreaming; I am truly here." Stella said in that voice he always knew so well. She was here, in front of him!

Noctis smiled. "I have missed you." He admitted, feeling his chest grow lighter. The woman in front of him giggled, "As did I, Noctis." The prince moved closer ever so slowly.

Lightning swiped at the chaos with her blade, not wishing to waste anymore time. She rushed on, feeling that she was drawing closer. She hoped the prince would not attempt anything reckless before she could find him in this smothering distraction.  
The young queen mentally swore she would crush Caius when she met with him next time for spreading chaos in her lands. Pushing back her thoughts, Lightning continued on. She spotted a vague but familiar form ahead. Realizing who it was, she began to move faster.

Noctis was in a daze; he could not control his joy in seeing her again. He had so much to say, and he wished to apologize for that time in the shrine three years ago. But why ruin their moment together?

He did not notice Lightning's form cutting through the chaos behind him, calling out his name. Her voice was muffled by the chaos' denseness and illusion.  
Instead he reached his hand out, coaxing the Tenebrae princess to take it and come back to his side. This was something he had been dreaming and wishing of for years now and all that was left was to feel her touch.

Lightning swung her sword down, finally reaching Noctis. "Noctis," She called out to him, grabbing his attention. She noticed Stella's form in front of him but as Noctis turned around at Lightning's call, the blonde woman seemed to blur slowly and raised a pistol, pointing it at Noctis' back.  
A loud bang rang out and a bullet struck Noctis in the abdomen as he turned around back around slightly. Shocked at the unexpected pain, the prince looked at Stella but his vision blurred and he all but lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

Lightning looked at the image in front of her and within that second the bandit leader walked forward, dissolving the false image of Tenebrae's princess that had been the work of the chaos.  
The bandit leader had seen Noctis standing there, talking to himself as if somebody was in front of him; he did not know what was wrong with the man but he was the perfect target. So he had lifted his pistol and fired. Now there was a woman before him. It seems that tonight was his lucky night.

In that instant, all Lightning could see was red and it felt like something primal had taken over her as she looked at Noctis' still form on the ground. "_No!_" She yelled in rage and rushed at the bandit. The armored ruffian pointed his pistol at her then fired without hesitation.  
The bullet struck Lightning, hitting her dangerously close to her heart. The pain was intense but Lightning reached the bandit leader and lifted her blade, impaling it into the man's chest.

The bandit leader coughed on his own blood then slumped onto the ground, lifeless when Lightning pulled her sword out of him. The chaos faded and dispersed, taking the body of the bandit leader with it. Seeing their leader has fallen, the other bandits, screamed in fright and retreated back to their panicking chocobos with Fang, Vanille, Serah, and Giovanni chasing after them.

Lightning dropped her sword as she moved over to Noctis' body and fell to her knees, struggling to breathe. Blood spilled from her bullet wound as she reached her side to grab the flask she always carried. She uncorked it and desperately drank. But it was empty. "Damn it all!" She cursed and threw the flask away. In defeat, she remained there, on her knees, staring at the prince.  
Carefully, she reached down and gently touched Noctis' face with her fingers. She felt warmth in his face and his slight twitch. So he did survive the shot after all.

"Good…you are…still…alive…" Lightning gasped out slowly, taking deep heavy breaths and placing a hand on her own wound. Her eyes began to fail her and her vision grew darker and darker.  
The young queen fell forward and her body crashed on the ground, beside Noctis. Lightning struggled to remain awake but the pain was numbing her senses. She could barely hear the panicked voices of her companions as they yelled at her while they desperately called for assistance. She also could not recognize the voice of Giovanni as he called out his son's name.  
Her hand twitched and seemed to have a mind of its own when it weakly tried reaching for Noctis' face again before it dropped.

Finally, Lightning closed her eyes and fell into oblivion.

* * *

**Ending it here for now.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter; it was exhilarating for me while writing because I found myself typing at a speed that I did not think was possible, and before I knew it I had written about five or six pages within an hour or minutes or so.**

**To clear things up: The outfit Lightning was wearing in this chapter was "Shadow's Dust", one of Lightning's new outfits in Lightning Returns that resembles samurai armor; just look it up and it should be there.**

**Lightning and Noctis' freerunning race is a reference to what Lightning will be able to do in the game, and the wall-running is a reference to Prince of Persia Sands of Time. Lightning is using a new sword because in order to avoid being discovered she avoids using her sword that she summons when wearing her armor.**

**The leader of the bandits did not disguise himself as Stella in order to land a blow on Noctis. He only saw Noctis because he was not able to see the illusion the chaos was showing him so to the bandit leader it looked like Noctis was smiling and talking to nothing so he just approached from behind the illusion which he could not see and took the shot and when he unknowingly stepped through the image he revealed himself to Lightning.**

******Oh yeah, take another shot of whatever it is you are drinking-Lightning was injured yet again. But this time she is not alone in that it seems. But still, I guess. If you want to have a better image of how Noctis and Lightning look when they are both injured and on the ground, imagine Cloud and Tifa from Advent Children but replace Cloud with Lightning and Tifa with Noctis. And place gunshot wounds on.**

**I was also asked which Yuna will be used in Sanctuaire; Yuna from Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2? Well the answer is: both. You will see soon once she makes her actual debut.**

**Thanks for reading and supporting this story, it really helps and I have just having loads and loads of fun with this, I am also glad my ideas are really interesting enough to be read. So thanks again guys!**

**Until then…**


	25. Chapter XXV: Aegrotatio Egrotatio

**Disclaimer:**** What's up readers? Phoenix here! Hope you guys have had a good week. My mom had already left for the airport to return home to the UAE so I am once again by my lonesome here with my grandparents. **

**Glad to see you guys like the progress that is happening despite how slow it is. I really do apologize for such a slow relationship progress but I wanted it to be as realistic and human as possible considering their situation and mindset.**

**Anyways, on with the story and enjoy!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXV:Aegrotatio Egrotatio**

_Hot._

_It felt hot, scorching._

_He wanted to scream, fight and wake up._

_Why did the air around him feel so hot?_

_It was dark, he could not see._

"_Give me my sight back…"_

_He continued to burn._

"_Let me wake up!"_

_His body was in pain._

"_Stop…"_

_The heat became unbearable._

"_Stop!"_

Noctis awoke with a start then winced at the sudden pain that engulfed his mind. He placed a hand on his abdomen, feeling white wrappings there.  
He looked down at himself; his abdomen had been covered by white bandages, fresh as if they had been recently changed. Noctis felt confusion sink in. Where was he?

Suddenly his eyes widened when he remembered talking to Stella. He tried to get up but he was pushed back down onto the bed. Noctis looked up to see his father watching him. "Try not to move too much, Noctis. Your wound is still fresh." "What…?" Noctis could not find the words to say; what happened? Where was he? And where was…?  
"Where is Stella?" Noctis asked anxiously. Giovanni looked at his son sternly. "She was never here, Noctis. It was the effects of chaos. An illusion."

Noctis felt devastated. She had been right there, how had all that been an illusion?

Giovanni sighed, "Queen Farron…was there with you at the time. You had been shot by the lead bandit, and so was she." Noctis raised an eyebrow at his father's words. Lightning had been shot? The prince looked down at his bandaged abdomen.  
"It was rather difficult but the healer was able to remove the bullet from you. Just a while ago he had extracted the bullet from inside Lady Lightning." Giovanni said, looking rather worried.

Truthfully, Noctis could not remember what had happened to Lightning at all. He only recalled that she had called out his name, and then he had turned around only to feel pain strike at him before he had blacked out.

A sudden cry startled both men out of their reverie. Noctis looked towards the door then back at his father. Giovanni was now tense and his shoulders seemed to be trembling a bit. The prince was now confused and nearly jumped again when another loud cry reached his ears.  
The door opened and Vanille stepped inside, looking rattled and rather tired. Giovanni stood up and placed a comforting hand on the handmaiden's shoulder. The fatherly gesture relaxed Vanille slightly. She looked up and the king and stood on her toes to whisper to him urgently.

Noctis watched as his father's expression turned grim. What in Etro's name was happening?

Giovanni nodded at Vanille as the redhead excused herself and left the room; Noctis could clearly hear the sounds of struggling when she opened the door and then the sound was more muffled when the handmaiden closed the door behind her.  
The king sighed tiredly. "After we brought you and Lady Lightning back…you were both in critical condition; you were both asleep for three days now." Noctis eyes widened at the revelation. "Three days? What…what happened while I was out?" He questioned.

Giovanni was tense again. Before the king could speak there was another cry. It sounded almost like a dying animal but Noctis knew it was a person. He listened carefully until he recognized the voice. It was Lightning.

Curious, Noctis sat up with the intention on figuring out what was happening. Giovanni forced his son down again. "What is happening?" Noctis asked, glaring up at his father. The king shook his head. He hated being kept in the dark, even if it was about Lightning. Noctis struggled to sit up while ignoring the pain in his body.  
For a while he could hear loud pained yells coming from somewhere inside the residence, perhaps another room. Noctis wondered if Lightning had more than one injury but Giovanni only mentioned that she had taken a bullet like he did.

"Rest my son. I will see to Lady Lightning myself." Giovanni said as he stood up and left Noctis by himself. The prince huffed and closed his eyes, feeling his heart sink as he took in the realization. The Stella he saw was only an illusion from the chaos, she had not been there at all. Again he felt darkness overwhelm his heart as he drifted off to sleep.

_-XIII-_

Giovanni winced when he heard another strangled yell from the room Lightning and her sister stayed in. For three days Serah had been at Lightning's side, worrying constantly and praying that nothing should happen to her. But the bullet had been so close to Lightning's heart the healer had to be more than careful when extracting the offending object.  
Despite Lightning's survival from the bullet wound, she did not seem to recover any faster. Instead she began arching her back in pain and clawing at her chest, even blinding reaching her side for the flask she had already thrown away.

It had been difficult to believe it when Fang had explained to Giovanni but the old king knew that there was no other explanation.

For years Lightning Farron had been burdened and kept it only to herself and shared but only a bit of her pain with her companions. To think such a young woman held so much on her shoulders only for it to worsen throughout the years.  
This was the weight that the queen of Bodhum had been carrying on her shoulder ever since she sat on the throne. Now it seems that burden has returned to strike at her when she least expected it.

Fang, Vanille, and Giovanni himself have waited for three days for both Noctis and Lightning to awaken, and waited for long dreary hours until the pained cries from inside the other room finally stopped. When it did, Serah emerged and sighed in relief, placing a hand over her heart.

Vanille and Fang breathed sighs of relief as well when Serah said that Lightning was now on her way to recovering. It was a wonderful relief.

"How is Noctis?" Serah asked after a moment of silence. Giovanni smiled. "I assume he is sleeping again; he tried to stand but I doubt the wound will allow him to get far." He said, glancing at his son's room. Fang scowled. "He deserved every bit of that bullet! I mean no offense to you, Majesty but it is the truth. If it were not for him then none of this would have happened!"  
Serah instantly jumped into the conversation to make peace. "Fang don't forget if it was not for him and my sister chasing after him then none of us would have chased off those bandits. And now that their leader is gone I do not think they will return soon."

Fang crossed her arms and grumbled but reluctantly agreed. "But still, it was because of him Lightning was—"

A door slammed open, startling the party. They turned to see Lightning at the door way. She still wore her breeches but she was bare-chested with only bandages wrapped around her torso to cover her naked chest. Serah was at her side in an instant. "Sister! What are you doing? Go back to sleep, please."

Lightning did not seem to hear her. Instead the queen's eyes looked rather blank as she tiredly stumbled forward. "Where is he?" She said; her voice was rather raspy. A sign of how bad of a condition she had gotten in. Serah stepped back and looked at Giovanni for permission. The king nodded and gestured towards the door behind him. Without another word, Lightning trudged towards the door and opened it. Slowly she entered and closed the door behind her, ignoring the stares that bore into her back.

She saw Noctis lying there, asleep with a bandage wrapped around his abdomen. Lightning moved a little closer and stared down at him.

Behind her Serah entered the room and quietly approached. "Lightning?" The queen did not flinch in surprise. "… It is strange…" Lightning said, "I know I promised Lord Giovanni I would keep his son safe in order to make sure he would return home one day. But Noctis got on ever last nerve I had left, and yet…I still go so far to fulfill my promise to his father. I have never felt such a need to see a promise fulfilled before."  
Serah stared at her sister's back, her eyes resting on the white wrappings. Hearing Lightning say something like that both worried Serah and made her smile inside. Her sister had always been honorable and kept her promises. However she understood why Lightning felt so confused about seeing this certain promise being pulled through.

Lightning continued to stare before she winced and touched the spot where the bullet had once buried itself in.

Serah gasped. "Lightning, please rest now. You have just recovered but you need more time to fully heal." She practically begged but the young queen shook her head. "I am fine, Serah. I will be fine." Lightning placed a hand on her chest and breathed in and out slowly.  
Noctis stirred in his sleep, grabbing the queen's attention again. She narrowed her eyes at him. Serah stepped back, knowing that her sister had something to say to the prince. Reluctantly she left the room and hoped Lightning would not push herself too hard.

Lightning stood still, watching as Noctis tossed and turned restlessly. His sleep was not at all peaceful, that much she could see.

When the prince's eyes opened, they took a while to focus. Noctis could vaguely see someone standing by his bedside, looming over him. He blinked several times, trying to clear his blurry vision. It seems that sleep was still heavy in his system but he forced himself awake. When his eyes did focus he saw that it was Lightning standing there.  
He could have jumped if he had the strength; instead he stared up at her until he realized nothing covered her upper body except for bandages. Noctis then recalled his father saying she too had been shot by the bandit leader. Still his eyes drifted to her breasts, seeing it was obscured from view by the wrappings.

His throat went dry despite that fact, however it was not just the sight of her bandage-covered breasts; it was the fact that she stood there before him, bare-chested despite the wrappings. Again Noctis felt his words fail him but Lightning did not speak either.

The young queen took in his rather unruffled form. He was tired and the bullet could have done great damage to him. The prince was a fortunate bastard, she decided.  
Her eyes roamed his chest, once again seeing the sculpted muscles that he possessed. It came across as strange to Lightning; she had seen the male anatomy before, both in books and in real life several times when dealing with dirty ruffians. But seeing Noctis this way was making it rather difficult for her to breathe.

She cleared her throat. "… I hope you realize that you are fortunate to be alive until now, Prince." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Noctis groaned, wishing that she would put her arms down; they seemed to be pushing up at her breasts and it was rather distracting. He turned on his side, showing his back to her. "Leave me be. I have had it with you." His mind wandered back to the illusion he had seen during the bandits' raid. Noctis could feel his heart breaking all over again like it did three years ago.  
The pain, the scorching heat of the flames, the grief… Everything came flooding back to him. He had thought she had returned to him but it was nothing but the chaos.

Lightning continued to watch, noticing Noctis' shoulders were beginning to shake. Her chest tightened. She took a step closer.

Noctis heard her move and without turning to look at her, he snapped. "I said leave me be! Is it hard for you to understand? Get out!" For a moment, Lightning did not move. She watched him a moment longer before she turned on her heels and moved towards the door.  
She placed her hand on the door knob then paused. She briefly glanced at Noctis over her shoulder then turned the knob and walked out of the room.

Lightning walked past the others, desiring nothing more than to just rest. She returned to her own room and locked herself inside.

Serah watched her sister, noticing the tired and rather dejected expression on her face. She could tell that once again Lightning had a disagreement with the prince. Fang found it to be tiresome and wonders why Lightning even bothers try talking sense in him or even try reasoning with him. Giovanni took no offense, aware that Fang was only speaking in her own way and not trying to offend anyone despite Vanille's attempts with trying to make sure Fang was careful with her words.

Serah stood there in front of Lightning's room, staring at the door. She was more than worried; pressure, stress, and anxiety were the last things her sister needed at this moment.

"I am sure she will be fine, Serah. Lightning has been through more trials before; she will certainly recover!" Vanille chirped reassuringly, making Serah smile. "Thank you, Vanille. I just hope she does nothing foolhardy or that Noctis does not upset her in any way that could make her…stressed." The younger Farron fussed, resisting the urge to pace like a husband waiting anxiously for his wife to survive childbirth.

The one fact they knew for certain was that both Noctis and Lightning will not be able to leave their rooms or the residence in their condition. However, knowing how stubborn both of them were—something the party agreed they had in common—there was a chance that either or both of them would make an attempt to take a walk outside.

"I swear! Neither of them could sit still for more than an hour." Fang has complained once. Despite the truth in her words, Vanille and Serah had giggled. Even King Giovanni had seen the humor in the general's words.

Unsure of what to do next, Serah remained in place, watching the door. She did not feel like leaving, especially not in her sister's current condition.  
The day they had brought Lightning and Noctis' wounded bodies back to their residence, Serah had also found the flask her sister always carried with her since her stay in the hunters' village. Once Serah had a good inspection of it, there was no doubt in her mind what had been inside it. But now that it was empty and useless in Lightning's eyes, Serah merely left it sitting abandoned on the writing desk, knowing that Lightning would only ignore it anyway.

She had hoped that this day would never come, that this would never happen again. But with the way Lightning was there was always a chance for it to happen.  
Her foolhardy sister hardly rested, or even allowed to set her mind at ease. Carefully, Serah pressed her ear against the door. She listened carefully and heard the sound of sheets; a sign that Lightning was resting at least.

With a sigh, the young Farron decided to step outside for fresh air. Perhaps she would even take Odin out for a run. She knew that the stallion was as restless as her sister and he needed to run and stretch his legs as much as he could.

Serah headed to the stables and found Odin standing in his stall, surprisingly quiet and calm, but looking at the horse's face carefully Serah could see he was worried, perhaps even a little shaken. He had seen his master being carried off with a bleeding wound on her chest.  
Moving closer to the stallion, Serah raised a hand and touched his face, gently stroking him. "She will be fine, Odin. Lightning is strong; the both of you are very much alike in some ways."

Odin snorted. His body was tense, more proof that he was longing for his partner.

"I know I am not Lightning, but will you allow me to ride you out of the stables just for today? I am aware that you have not been outside for quite some time." Serah said in a soft voice, rubbing her hand up and down the horse's smooth black neck.  
At first Odin did not respond to her but after a second, the horse lowered his head then lifted it—a nod of approval.

Odin never allowed anyone but Lightning to ride him. Serah had once experienced being on Odin's back but only when she was with Lightning, and again she had briefly mounted Odin when her sister and Noctis had fallen into a fissure after the attack on their camp. The stallion and his queen shared the same stubborn strength and fierce heart; it was no wonder that Odin allowed himself to be tamed—for lack of better word—by Lightning alone.

Now that the true master was on the verge of recovering, there was nobody else to bring Odin out for a run except Serah, and nobody dared approach the wild, beautiful horse. His loyalty was forever with Lightning. However, he did not mind Serah's company. Although she was younger and gentler compared to his master, Odin knew how precious Serah was in Lightning's life and therefore he considered Serah one of the only exceptions should his queen be absent.

After the younger Farron had placed the saddle and reins on, she carefully mounted Odin's back. She struggled slightly and pouted at her height. Lightning was much taller than her and could mount Odin with ease.

As if sensing her distress, Odin neighed—which sounded like a small laugh—and dropped his body down, making it easier for Serah to get on his back.  
Serah blushed; even a _horse_ knew what she was feeling. Nevertheless, she got on the saddle and at once the majestic steed stood back up. For a second, the height disoriented Serah but she soon adjusted to the feeling. "Let's go, Odin."

The horse let out a proud neigh and trotted out of the stables and into the streets of Dead Dunes. Serah guided him to the oasis, knowing that it would have enough space for him to run as long as he wished, and there would be water in case he needed to cool down his body should it get too hot.

"I am worried, Odin." Serah confessed as the horse continued to trot then gallop around the oasis. Odin shook his head slightly, indicating that he was listening. Serah gripped the reins so tightly she was sure the steed was able to feel it. "Lightning has been…anxious lately, and I worry that it might push her over the edge one day, no matter how strong her mind is." Serah said in a quiet voice. Her hands began to shake and Odin stopped moving.  
The steed felt his heart beat at a rapid pace; he too was worried for his beloved master and friend. He longed to possess the ability to speak to humans or at least make the humans understand him, perhaps then he would be able to comfort his dear friend. To him, Lightning was a sister at heart who shared his passion for the speed, the freedom and the feel of the wind during a run.

Suddenly the horse felt Serah wrap her arms around his strong neck. Wet tears slid down his coat, surprising the steed. He held still, trying to be brave for his queen's sister. "You know my sister well, Odin. She will _truly_ smile one day, won't she?" Odin made a low, reassuring sound, hoping it would be enough to comfort the younger Farron.

* * *

Lightning was feeling restless again. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to find any comfort in rest. But when she tried to make any sudden movements, her wound would hurt, hindering her.

She placed a hand on her chest, resisting the urge to shudder at the thought of how close the bullet came to hitting her heart when she had been shot. She was fortunate it enough that it missed but the bullet was still close to her vital organ.

She cleared her throat; it felt dry like Dead Dunes' sands. She sat up slowly, being mindful of her bullet wound and left her room in search of something to quench her thirst and soothe her dry throat.

Lightning glanced at the room Noctis had been placed in and sighed tiredly. She massaged her temples when her head began spinning and aching.  
Pushing it aside, she walked into the kitchen and found a pitcher of water waiting for her. She took a sip of water and felt her throat's relief. Lightning let out a light cough and calmed her breathing, taking in slow and even breaths before releasing a slow exhale.

The residence was empty; no doubt everyone had gone outside for some fresh air. Lightning could not fault them—it was better to be outside than to be stuck inside all day. But with her wounds, she had no choice but to do so. The young queen cursed at her weakness and ran a hand down her face in exasperation. She hated being weak, hated feeling weak… She had gone through so much just to reach the very level she was one at this very moment.  
All of her training, her studies, and her pains through every experience she had gone through since becoming queen… Everything swarmed in her mind, creating a bothersome migraine yet again. She tried to calm herself down; she needed to relax her mind.

Returning to her room, she dropped herself on the bed and grabbed Fabula Nova Crystallis from the nightstand. She immersed herself in the words that were written down on every page.

While her eyes took in the stories, her mind took in something else. Her restless mind wandered to Noctis. Again images of his face intruded her thoughts, erasing the images of the book's stories from her head. Lightning felt disturbed; this was not normal to her. She hoped it was not a new kind of disease to the mind.  
She shook her head but his face would not leave or fade. Lightning laid back on her pillows and placed her open book over her face in exasperation. She had wanted to read, not mindlessly fantasize about the arrogant prince who rested in the other room.

Even her most precious book did not seem to be helping her. No matter which story she read from Fabula Nova Crystallis, Noctis' face, and the sound of his voice would disrupt her imagination from the story.

Giving up, the young queen placed the book aside and closed her eyes. Perhaps sleep would do her some good. Even though she did not wish to just lie down and do nothing, she had no other option and she most certainly did not want to have her head swirling with thoughts of Noctis no matter how fascinating he seem to her. Fascinating? When did the childish man become something of interest to her? It was a rather ridiculous notion.

Now the prince won't even leave her mind in peace. Was he that eager to torture the life and wits out of her? If only he were not injured, she would be more than happy to give him a piece of her mind by utilizing her fist.

Never before had the queen ever had the urge to see somebody so urgently—there was not even a single incident in which she ever considered so urgent she would knock on the prince's door. So why was she so uneasy and anxious? She knew Serah and the others would disapprove if they see her being so unsettled; she was _never_ unsettled over anything especially not anything trivial.

Lightning held back from swearing. Damn prince was infecting her mind with just the thought of his face, but all he ever did was allowed himself to grieve and to be easily manipulated by a mere shadow trick.

For the next hour Lightning busied herself by mentally throwing insults at Noctis, even using the many different languages she had learned. She cursed in Balamb-speak, in Nibelheim-speak, in Spiran—both Al-Bhed and Yevonite, and even in Etro Script.  
Soon she grew tired as her head began spinning again. She had merely wanted to sleep but the distractions were not allowing her any peace whatsoever.

Her chest tightened and she tried to soothe her mind. Lightning winced as she lay still on her bed, sweat was beginning to form on her forehead.

She swallowed hard and remained still, hoping that the dizzying heat would pass, and quickly. Lightning shut her eyes tightly, wishing to shove away the dizziness. She forced herself to sleep despite how uncomfortable she felt but her gunshot wound began to throb. Placing a hand on her chest, Lightning inhaled then exhaled carefully before relaxing as sleep finally decided to bring her to the world of dreams, away from the pain.

_-XIII-_

Noctis stared at the ceiling for a long time before he decided to leave the bed despite his father cautioning him against it. It mattered not; he had better things to do than to lie down and rest. As he left the room, while ignoring the stinging pain of his wound, he noticed the residence was empty. Perhaps he could leave now while everyone else was outside.

He glanced towards the next room, knowing all too well that it was Lightning's. He frowned as he walked past her door but stopped for a moment to glance at the bedroom door. His keen hearing listened carefully but he was unable to hear much except for the rustling of sheets.  
Noctis felt the powerful urge to tiptoe into the room to check on Lightning. He felt his cheeks burn despite his efforts to push the feeling away.

Giving in, he carefully pushed the door open and peered inside. He could see Lightning resting on the bed, underneath the covers. However she was moving rather restlessly.

His curiosity piqued and urged him to step inside. The prince crept closer to the bedside where Lightning seemed to be struggling to find comfort in the bed, but finding none. Sweat gathered on her forehead and even on her arms. Was it the desert town's usual hot days? Or had she been stricken with a fever after the incident three days ago after being shot.  
Before he noticed what he was doing, Noctis brought a hand to Lightning's forehead; she was burning. The prince pulled his hand back, stunned. He looked around before bringing his eyes back to Lightning's struggling form. The young queen was groaning and shifting about; with the way she had her teeth grit together it seems like she was holding back a cry of pain.

Noctis' frown deepened as he kneeled by the bed to take a closer look.

Lightning's sweating face look flushed, red tainted her cheeks and her chest was heaving heavily with each deep breath she took. Something was odd about her. Noctis leaned in to sniff her but stopped himself; he groaned at his idiocy and stood up to leave the room.  
He closed his eyes, as he walked away from the door, trying to ignore the tightening of his chest as he heard a cough originate from Lightning's room.

He could not afford anymore distractions and left the residence, hoping to escape this time.

Everyone seemed to be rather cheery this morning as he strolled down the streets of Dead Dunes. No doubt they had realized that the bandits have retreated due to the loss of their leader.  
Noctis glanced left and right carefully, hoping that nobody he knew would see him. He planned to leave Dead Dunes and run off to his next destination, wherever that may be.

Again the vision of Lightning's sweating and flushed face invaded his thoughts. Why could he not push away the images of Lightning's face from his mind? Ever since he and Serah had reunited with Lightning at the hunters' village, her face was all he had been seeing in his mind day in and day out. It was becoming rather disturbing. And yet…warm.

"Damn you Lightning Farron. What are you doing to me?" Noctis stared at his hands, silently contemplating, wondering…

She did look rather uncomfortable, too uncomfortable for it to be a nightmare that she was suffering from; she did not even awaken when he had walked into her room, and he was aware of how keen her senses were even if she were asleep.  
"I am certain that I will regret this decision." Noctis mumbled to himself as he turned around to return to the residence where he knew Lightning would not be able to leave her room.

"What in Etro's name am I even doing?" He questioned himself out loud; perhaps hoping deep inside that somebody would be able to answer the question for him. But no answer came.

Regardless, his feet continued to move forward until he was at Lightning's door once more. He sniffed the air, his wolf's keen sense of smell alerting him of something that was out of place. It was not an enemy, but rather, a strange feeling.  
Something seemed…out of place. Though Noctis was unsure of what it was, he was certain that it was around, in the air perhaps. He continued to stare at the bedroom door of Lightning. He did not know why he returned just when he had stepped outside.

Perhaps he was still tired. Yes, that must be it; the injury must have just taken its toll on him. He stood up and sat in the nearest chair to rest.

Noctis gingerly placed a hand over where the bandages wrapped around the wound. He growled in frustration, the sound was more wolf than human.  
Once in a while he found himself looking at Lightning's bedroom door whenever he could, much to his own dismay. He was unsure why he bothered; it was none of his concern and has never been, and yet… Noctis leaned his head back, groaning loudly.

For a long time nothing happened and it was making him regret ever coming back when he should have run and finally gain freedom.

Was it because of Lightning? Was it pity? Perhaps… But he hated the fact that he might be becoming too soft. He had wished to be more distant, stronger. He wanted to be alone for all time with nobody by his side ever. And yet deep down, he might still hold some longing but he pushed it away, convincing himself that it was all a big weakness. And he hated being weak, especially when being compared to Lightning.

He very much wanted to defeat her in every way imaginable but for some odd reason, this desire felt less strong, as if his mind had given up on the thought of trying to outdo Lightning's talents.

So what _did_ he want now? He knew he still wanted to live out in the wilderness more than anything, but there was something else that was probing at the back of his mind and he was unsure of what it was and all the same that thought was unclear.  
If the others saw him now he was certain they would smugly announce that they were correct to criticize him and it would damage his already bruised pride, and the mere thought of him being wrong irritated him. He hated being proven wrong.

He thought back to the event that had caused his wound. Had he truly fallen for an illusion? But she had been so real? Why couldn't it have been real instead of an illusion? He would have paid anything for that false image to become reality.

Noctis snapped out of his thoughts when he heard loud and heavy coughing coming from Lightning's room. He raised an eyebrow but dared not venture into the young queen's sleeping quarters. He could only assume that Lightning had caught a terrible fever while she had been weakened from her injuries; it was not unusual for something like that to happen.

He tried to block out the small guilt that crept into his mind as the coughing continued. Noctis grit his teeth but he knew he had always been too weak, too polite and shy; that was why he wished to somehow grow devoid of emotion if he had to.  
The coughing was not subsiding and it was beginning to make Noctis wonder just how bad her fever was. He sighed deeply and stood up from his seat. Perhaps he could at least offer her some water to settle her throat. There was no harm in doing so.

Noctis grabbed one of the wooden cups he found in the kitchen and filled it with water. He stared at his reflection for a brief moment before he went towards Lightning's room.

He had thought of knocking but with the way Lightning was coughing and gagging, he knew she would not even mind. When he opened the door he could see the current mess in which Lightning was in; she was coughing harder than before and the blankets had fallen from her body due to her restless tossing and turning. Her body was covered with sweat that it might just soak her bandages as well. As quietly as possible, Noctis moved closer to Lightning's bedside.  
One look at her told him that she was terribly sick at this moment. However the prince was certain it would be best if Serah tended to her sister's needs instead. The prince carefully placed the water on the nightstand beside the bed and moved away.

He turned on his heels and left Lightning's room the moment she appeared to stop coughing for a while.

Noctis carefully closed the door behind him and returned to his own room. There was nothing else he could do now but sleep; his wound was beginning to irritate him but perhaps a nice long rest would help block out the feeling of the stinging pain.  
The prince laid down on the mattress and kept his eyes shut, hoping Lightning would not begin another coughing fit while he slept; he wanted to prevent himself from feeling any sort of remorse. And he would not be able to do that if he heard the queen cough again.

* * *

Lightning felt restless all over again. She took in deep breaths as she recovered from her coughing fits for the day. She glanced to the side and noticed the cup on the nightstand.

She sat up slowly, the action causing a harsh ache in her body. Her movements were sluggish even as she reached for the cup and stared at its contents; water. She huffed and gulped down the cool liquid, wetting her throat and soothing it from the dryness.

Lightning touched the wound on her chest carefully, hoping that her tossing and turning had not pressed at it. Unfortunately she could see a stain of red on the wrappings. She sighed; she would need to change her bandages.  
Tiredly, the young queen slid out of bed and stumbled slightly towards the door. She bumped into the wall beside the door and leaned her shoulder against it for a moment, breathing in and out tiredly.

Her hand was unsteady as she tried to reach for the doorknob only to miss and barely touch the knob. On her fourth attempt, she was successful and pushed the door open.

Noctis was seated beside the window and turned his attention to Lightning when he heard her exit the room. His eyes watched her as she slowly moved to one of the available chairs in the room. She sat down and leaned her head back tiredly. She groaned and touched her bandaged chest. Noctis' eyes widened at the red stain he saw.  
"You foolish woman." He muttered, but Lightning heard him and stared at him tiredly. She was in no mood to argue so she said nothing in return. When Noctis continued to stare, she panted, "Let me…catch my breath…" The prince's eyes trailed up and down her form slowly, noticing how the usual swift and agile queen was now stumbling about like a drunken Viking.

Noctis grimaced inwardly whenever Lightning would hit against a wall in order to keep herself steady.

"Sit down." He said suddenly, surprising both Lightning and himself. The queen looked like she wanted to protest but she was too overexerted to argue with anyone. She collapsed on a futon in the room and Noctis went to fetch fresh bandages.  
He was not sure what possessed him to even do such a thing. He walked back to Lightning and stared at her straightly. She stared back with her own blank gaze.

"I will need you to remove those wrappings." Noctis said, trying his best not to think of how she would look when she bared her torso to him once the stained bandages were removed. Instead he kept the expression on his face neutral.  
Whether Lightning knew what he was thinking or not, she merely shrugged and slowly undid the wrappings. She hissed in pain when her wound stung at her. Noctis pried his eyes away as he stood up to stand behind the queen. Once the bandages were off, Noctis could see her bare back and the many faint scars that adorned her skin.

Her skin looked lovely and soft to touch but he berated himself for such a thought. He looked at the scars carefully, wondering where she might have obtained them.

Noctis shook his head and began wrapping fresh bandages around Lightning's torso. She assisted byt fixing the wrappings as it came to her front.  
It was silent between them and neither of them spoke a word. Noctis dressed Lightning wounds then stepped back once he was finished. He saw her tense before relaxing again, knowing she was testing the pain in her body. By the way she hissed it was obvious it was hurting her until now.

"… Thank you." Lightning said in a low voice, not daring to look at Noctis' face.

The prince shrugged and sat back down by the window again. He glanced at Lightning, noting her rather…distant expression. She said not a word when she returned to her room to rest more. Oddly enough he began to wonder if she would recover soon. Perhaps, but he should not even bother with wondering in the first place.

"Damn you Lightning… What are you doing to me?" He cursed under his breath despite the small, quiet voice inside of his head telling him that nothing had been her fault.

But he wanted to have someone to blame. For once he wanted to be right while everyone else was wrong; he deserved it more than anyone else did.  
Noctis clenched his fist and mentally cursed again. He wanted to leave like he intended so could he not leave the residence even though he had done it before?

Later that day the others returned to the residence. Giovanni had asked Noctis if he was feeling fine but the prince ignored him.

Fang scowled and did her best to ignore the pompous prince, but not without throwing several disapproving glances his way whenever he did or said something she found offensive in any way. Vanille pat her friend's arm to calm her down before going into Lightning's room to inspect her progress with recovery. Serah remained uncharacteristically silent for a long time; after she had brought Odin back to the stables, the horse had nudged his nose against her in comfort. It always surprised Serah how intelligent Odin was despite him being a horse.

Giovanni rested himself on the nearest chair, grateful that his age still did not prevent him from being active physically. He knew of rulers who grew slow during their old age, starting with the age he was at currently, and he had no intention of lying down while he had his duty as king to fulfill as well as his role as a father.

Vanille left Lightning's room with a small smile on her face. "She is recovering well. Her fever has died down." Serah sighed in relief at the handmaiden's words. Fang smirked and chuckled, "I knew that queen of ours is too stubborn to die!"  
Noctis sighed; from experience so far he realized that what Fang was saying is true. Lightning Farron was stubborn and somehow managed to cheat death several times.

"Well I am just glad that she will now be able to walk about without feeling faint. But for how long?" Giovanni said, placing his pointing finger and thumb at his chin.

Vanille sat beside Serah and held her friend's hand. "Not to worry. I checked her thoroughly and it seems she will be able to return to her normal active self within a day or two. Perhaps even _tomorrow_ if she managed to sleep peacefully tonight." The younger Farron smiled brightly at the news and hugged the redhead tightly. "Thank you Vanille. I am glad."  
Fang stared at the door of the room where Lightning rested and smiled in relief. "Get well soon you stubborn goat. I look forward to having you pacing about again like always." The general chuckled to herself at the thought.

Noctis wondered if his actions of bringing her a simple cup of water was what caused her recovery. He doubted it; it had been only water after all. But his mind kept pestering him that it was the opposite.

When evening came, everyone in Dead Dunes remained outside rather than retreat indoors, knowing full well that the bandits would be too cowardly to return after seeing their mighty leader fall and disappear without a trace. To Serah and Vanille, the desert town looked just as lovely as it was in the day. The merchants happily called out for people to look at their items, the people strolled about with a confident stride.

"Isn't it wonderful Fang? Now everybody here can live without fear of being robbed!" Vanille chirped as she skipped along the bazaar with Fang and Serah. The young Farron chuckled and Fang rolled her eyes skyward in amusement.  
Indeed, the night was lovely and it was the first time any of the people had the chance to walk outside at night so freely without worries.

Serah tried to keep her mind from wandering to her wounded sister. After all, Vanille had said she would be recovering just fine now. But Serah knew better; even if Lightning was doing well there was a chance that the fever might strike again when they least expect and need it to.  
Lightning needed to recover and to have another fever strike at her was never what Serah would wish upon her queen sister. Mentally she prayed that all would be well, but also hoped that Lightning would not push past her limit like she tended to do when she began to feel useless. Serah knew all too well how Lightning's pride made the queen hard on herself and on others as well as prompting her to go beyond what she could manage because Lightning despised not doing anything when she knew or felt she could be of some use.

* * *

She knew she would never hear the end of it from Serah if her sister learned that she had snuck out of the residence to take an evening stroll.

Lightning grunted; she did not need her sister telling her to be careful. She knew how to fend for herself—after all, she defeated armies larger than a behemoth. Still, the young queen was certain Serah would not be happy at all should she see Lightning's room empty.

"When will this end?" Lightning growled in a low voice. She felt frustrated, tired, and heavy. Her body was sore and her wound still stung badly, and despite her fever going down she still felt so slow as if every one of her movements were sluggish.  
She despised her weakness. Ever since she had taken the throne at fifteen she had sworn to grow stronger and immune to weakness. But the gods seemed to enjoy laughing at her despair. Lightning resisted the urge to punch the palm tree that stood right beside the cooling water of the oasis.

Lightning forced herself to calm down and sat down on the soft, cooling sand. In the evening the desert would become cold so it was no surprise when she felt the sand was not hot like it usually was.

Once her temper died down, she sighed in relief and leaned back against her hands and arms. The skies above were rather lovely; there were several stars that could be seen despite the clouds floating about. She enjoyed views like this; it helped her relax and soothe her mind. However her mind had different plans for her that night; Noctis again appeared in her head. Why must the gods mock her?

Wherever she went and whatever she did she was beginning to see more and more images of Noctis' face, clouding her mind like a thick fog in a dense swamp.

Again her temper felt like it might explode but she kept it in check. Never before had she felt so confused; she always remained calm and thought of solutions, so why was she feeling so lost in thought? It was like someone had turned her mindset into that of a never-ending swirl that continued to spin until she grew dizzy with confusion.  
Lightning clutched her chest, nearly forgetting to be gentle with her wound. Until now she was not sure what was making her feel so strangely, but she felt perhaps Noctis had something to do with it. Perhaps his pigheadedness was the reason—he could infuriate her whenever he pushed her too far and there were times when Lightning knew he was doing it on purpose. As to the reason why he did, she had no idea.

Lightning placed her head in her hands. Her head was aching badly from too much thinking. For once she wanted to be free of thoughts for even a moment.

It seems misfortune enjoyed torturing her; she heard footsteps and lifted her head to see Noctis approaching. When he saw her he frowned and his eyes turned icy-cold. The young queen rolled her eyes and remained silent as Nocits walked past her to stand close to the water.  
The silence was deafening but neither of them dared break the silence and they had no intention of speaking to one another at the moment.

Lightning could see as Noctis took in the beauty of the night—his namesake. She noticed how he admired the now bustling sounds and sight of Dead Dunes, of how lovely the evening sky was, the twinkling stars… But Lightning did not, could not, find beauty in any of them. She had seen many things in her lifetime; both beautiful and ugly, wonderful and atrocious. She admired the beauty and sometimes even the hidden loveliness of what was hidden within something horrid-looking. But that had been a long time ago.

Now she could not see anything wonderful in the sky or the stars or the ocean. Not even in the fireworks her kingdom displayed during the Fireworks Festival.

Instead her eyes were drawn to Noctis himself. He stood a few feet away from her but he remained unmoving as he took in the sights and appreciated the sounds and scents around him. Lightning respected his appreciation for the natural beauty of the world but it was because of this that she was feeling off and not like herself. She had tried pulling back from the odd feeling but it kept dragging her back. She had no idea what was beginning to possess her, taking its hold on her and her mind.

Noctis could feel her eyes staring at his back. He resisted the urge to shiver and focused on the beauty of the desert.

He had missed being able to admire the world around him. He had learned from his mother the importance of the world's natural beauty and that without it there would be nothing left to admire. He remembered how his mother would tend to her flowers and would even smile and talk to them as if they were living beings. When he had asked her, she merely smiled down at him and said that flowers really are living things and that speaking to them helped them mature and grow.  
At first he had thought it was all a mere superstition but as he grew he began feeling some understanding about what his mother had said if not completely.

It was from her that he had inherited love for the world's beauty. But with the way his life had been when he grew into a young man, he could not help but feel guilty that he could not love the natural beauty of a woman like he did with nature; indeed like every man, he became attracted to women who made themselves beautiful. Especially when he had been an adolescent.

But now when he had seen Lightning's face for the first time when they first met he had grudgingly admitted to himself that she looked like no other woman he had ever lain with or encountered before. She wore no rouge on her lips or any powder on her face. Her skin, her lips…they were all real, natural like Mother Nature's forests.  
If it had been any other woman, and before he had met Stella, he would not have any qualms of trying to pursue her and bed her, but this was Lightning Farron. Even if Noctis had not meet the traitor princess before he would never lay with the queen of Bodhum.

Lightning coughed and he tensed. Carefully he glanced over his shoulder to see Lightning clearing her throat and beating her fist against her chest lightly. She noticed him looking and stared back.

Instantly Noctis looked away and crossed his arms, hoping that he was intimidating enough to make her stay away from him. Instead he heard Lightning huff, "Stop being so childish. You are a grown man so act like one for this one time." Noctis felt offended and snapped. "I am childish? You are the one who clings to me as if I were your mother! I never asked you to remain with me and I never needed you with me in the first place!"  
"Do not agitate me, Prince," Lightning growled threateningly. Noctis ignored her words and continued his tirade, wishing he could return to the moments of three years ago. "What right do you have to speak to me as if you know what I am going through? You have not lain with a man nor have you ever experienced the feeling of being betrothed to someone! I _had_ all those and every single one of those moments has been torn away!" The prince could have sworn that all of Dead Dunes could hear him but he cared not.

Lightning shook her head. "How long do you plan to cling to the shadows of the past, Noctis? It seems your father and friends have spoiled you too much by giving you too much time to your misery." She retorted, glaring hotly at him.

"You pathetic misfit," Noctis growled, "I do not know what your people or my father ever saw in _you_. Clearly you think of nothing but your throne and how you plan to overthrow the Cruor Mucro." "Is that wrong? Is it wrong for me to want to regain my kingdom so that the dark kingdoms would never be able to dominate everyone else?" Lightning shot back.  
Noctis' glare hardened as his eyes faded from blue to blood-red. "I wish it was you who have perished during the raid three years ago, not Stella." Lightning's fist crackled with electrical sparks but she resisted the temptation of striking the prince's face with a thunder spell.

"Watch your tongue, Noctis. I am not always so patient and tolerant of imbeciles." Lightning said in a low deadly tone. The prince moved closer to her and stared down into her eyes. They flashed dangerously into his crimson orbs. "If I had not been wounded I would have destroyed you myself." Noctis breathed out dangerously into her ear, almost making her shudder but she held still.

Lightning felt her chest tighten and she stepped back. "Say what you will. It still will not change anything." She turned her back on him, intending to leave, but Noctis was not finished. He wanted a fight and he wanted to win. "Running away again? That is all you ever do! Run away! You do not have the nerve to face your strife; instead you flee like a stray dog!"

Her chest began to ache. "Enough Noctis! I have had enough of you!" She clutched her chest tightly as she stepped forward, hoping to put a huge distance between her and Noctis.

"Don't you turn your back on me you coward! You started this, now you have to face it!" The prince yelled at her. His red eyes burned into her back as he continued to glare. Lightning grit her teeth and clutched her chest tighter; the stress along with Noctis' shoving with words was adding to the heavy pressure that was pressing down on her chest.  
Lightning tried to calm herself but her breathing was already ragged and her thoughts have taken in too much of Noctis' harsh words. She swallowed hard. "Bite your tongue! Say what you will but I will not stay and be insulted by you." "And you call yourself queen. You cannot even stand the mere fact that someone is right while you are wrong." Noctis spat, his voice almost sounding like a wolf's growl.

Lightning began shaking. _"No. Not now! Not in front of this fool of a prince!"_ Her body refused to show her any mercy as pain struck her chest.

Lightning gasped for air. "… I am done with you, Noctis." She forced herself to run before he could notice a change in her posture.  
Once she was far enough from the oasis, she let out a hard cough. Lightning covered her mouth with a hand and continued to cough as she made her way back to the residence. She barged past the door and rushed to the washroom. The young queen gasped and choked into the wash basin filled with water.

She continued coughing and gasping until crimson liquid dripped from her mouth and into the water. The monarch stared at the red as it melded with the clear water. "Why now? Damnation!" She cursed but was rewarded with another painful attack in her chest.

Her heart suddenly felt like it was being burned inside of her body. Her breathing grew shallow but it was becoming difficult to even inhale and exhale properly. Again she coughed and more blood began flowing out of her mouth as she began to bleed from the inside again.  
She had hoped this would not happen again but she should have known better. Lightning had accepted this years ago but to have this pain attack her now when she needed to be focused… It was too distracting.

_-XIII-_

Serah returned to the residence, deciding that she needed some sleep. Fang and Vanille had chosen to stay outside a bit longer but they let her go.

The moment she entered, Seah could hear loud coughing and gagging. Dread surged through her as she ran towards the washroom. She found Lightning hunched over, spewing blood into the basin that now had bloody water. "Sister!" Serah cried and went to the young queen's side. Lightning shook her head; she did not want Serah to see her this way again. She hated seeing her young sister so worried and so frightened.  
"Leave me be for a while, Serah. I am fine." She reassured but Serah did not move. "No you are _not_ fine! Your heart…is it…?" The younger Farron placed her hand over Lightning's heart gently and felt the tired yet erratic beating; it was beginning to fail again.

"You need to lie down and rest!" Serah said urgently as she ushered Lightning to her room. The queen protested but the pain in her chest was too much to bear.

As she allowed Serah to settle her on the bed and cover her with the blankets, Lightning tried taking in deep steady breaths but she coughed instead. "You will be okay…I know you will." Serah's voice shook as she spoke. Lightning touched her sister's hair reassuringly. "I have come this far, Serah. I will not back down now or ever." That did little to comfort the younger Farron but there was nothing else she could do. She felt her sister's forehead and realized the fever was slowly returning.

* * *

Noctis was irritated beyond belief as he returned to the residence at the hour of midnight. He hated how Lightning simply fled from him; he had been expecting more from her and he had expected to have a decent fight. Instead she had turned and ran with her tail between her legs, once again proving how pitiful she was. He should have known that Lightning would be too proud to accept that she cannot always be correct about everything.

He stepped into the residence and found that everyone was seated, talking to each other in hushed voices.

Fang looked up and noticed him. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she stood up and stormed towards the prince, grabbing him by the front of his tunic. "You arrogant son of a shoopuff!" She cursed at him and slammed him against the nearest wall.  
Vanille ran over, trying to calm her friend down before she turned and walked into Lightning's room to tend to the young queen. Serah and Giovanni stood as well but remained where they were. Noctis glared at Fang angrily. "What is the matter with you, you jungle wench?" Fang tossed Noctis to the side, sending him flying into the writing desk.

The prince's eyes turned crimson as he got up and glared. "How dare you…!"

"No! How dare _you_!" Fang yelled, shoving Noctis backwards. "How many times must Lightning risk her own safety for yours when all you do is spit at her face? Is death what you truly desire?" Fang grabbed her lance and pointed it at Noctis' chest.  
Serah stepped between them. "Enough! There will be no fighting amongst ourselves! Lightning's life is what we need to focus on!" Noctis raised an eyebrow at her words. "What?"

Fang put her lance down but continued to glare. "Lightning…she is ill again. Serah found her here, spitting out blood! And I can only think of one person who could pressure her to such a state; _you_!" Noctis snorted. "All of you have bogs in your heads!"

Giovanni glared at his son. "Noctis Lucis Caelum! You are acting like a street ruffian! Have you even stopped to listen to the words that emerge from your mouth?"  
Noctis turned his red-eyed glare to his father. "Does it matter? I never wanted to stay here! I could have been with Stella but it had been nothing but an illusion from the chaos!" "Stella, Stella, Stella… That houri is all you ever talk about! Open your eyes and face reality, Prince!" Fang scolded, slapping the side of her lance against Noctis' shoulder.

Vanille emerged from Lightning's room, her hands folded together. Everyone looked at her; the redhead was silent for a long time before she spoke, "… She is having another attack. I…she is in pain again." Vanille began to shake.

Noctis hated being left in the dark. "What are you saying?" Serah sighed and pulled Noctis outside. "Come, I need to speak to you. Fang, Vanille, please watch over my sister. Lord Giovanni, please excuse me." Giovanni nodded and sat back down, rubbing his temples; he wanted his son back—his true son. The son who never treated others as if they were rubbish stuck to the heel of his boot. He nearly jumped when he heard painful howls emerge from Lightning's room. Fang tensed and Vanille rushed back inside to check on the queen.

_-XIII-_

Serah stood still and silent for a moment after she had brought Noctis outside. The prince tapped his foot impatiently. Finally Serah decided to look at him and say something. "My sister is ill. She had always been ill ever since she grew into a queen. When Lightning was sixteen she began feeling tired and sometimes heavy but we thought nothing of it, when she turned seventeen the first attack of the illness struck."

Noctis' eyebrows rose at this sudden announcement. It was not what he had expected Serah to say so suddenly without warning.

Serah continued, "I am sure you have heard of how…violent and hot-tempered my sister was when she had been eighteen; she had been very upset when she had realized that she was ill. It made her angry but as she aged again to a woman of nineteen and then twenty, she had come to accept it." Serah looked up at the dark sky. "You see…because my sister overexerted herself while working in the palace and out with the citizens, her body began to weaken. Especially her heart."

"Her…heart?" The prince was puzzled. "Yes. Her heart is not as strong as it used to be; if she overexerts herself or if she allows too much negative thoughts and emotions to pressure her, her illness will strike and her heart will begin to give in." Serah explained. She wrapped her arms around herself as a cold desert breeze blew past. "She had managed to survive every attack her body had for these past long years, but…she…we were all told that she may not last for too long. Someday Lightning might…"

The younger Farron shook her head. No; she refused to think of it. Lightning was strong, nearly invincible. She would never give in to an ailment… Hopefully.

"Why are you telling me this?" Noctis asked, his eyes narrowing. Serah sighed. "I thought that it was now about time you learned the truth. The reason why my sister is the way she is, and why Fang and every one of us are so concerned about her… My sister is dying, Noctis. Slowly but surely, and what makes it more terrifying is that none of the most skilled healers can tell when she will finally stop living. All that is known is…Lightning's heart is weakening, also causing her to bleed from the inside. She spits put blood whenever she coughs and it scares to me see all that red spilling from her mouth…" Serah shuddered, "Lightning becomes sick and unable to move for probably a few days or hours and she will continue feeling pain from the inside and cough blood. And none of us can do a thing but pray that she survives the attack."

The prince glanced over his shoulders, towards the door of the residence. "… Is there a cure?" Surely they could have asked for it.

Serah shook her head. "There is none. As far as all the healers know, this ailment is of unknown origin. By now I think you must have realized why my sister has been drinking frequently from that odd flask." Noctis thought for a moment until realization hit him. He nodded in response.

"I have not noticed it before but it seems that the healers in the hunters' village had discovered Lightning's…condition so they gave her a potion to take whenever she would feel the illness taking over her body." Serah explained, feeling foolish for not realizing it earlier.  
Noctis ran a hand through his hair. "And Lightning has not yet recovered?" He gestured at the front door. "No," Serah replied, "it might take some time."

There was another long silence between the two of them. It was rather uncomfortable.

"I am telling you this because I know this is not how you really are, Prince Noctis; I know that you are not a cruel man. And I understand that you may hate my sister for being who she is but you must understand that it is only because she does not know any other way. For years she had been seeing to the kingdom and never had the chance to be a young girl like I had. She sacrificed much for me, for Fang and Vanille, for Bodhum, and even for your father." Serah said, her voice had dropped to a mere whisper.

Noctis seemed surprised. "For my…father?" "Lord Giovanni had been drowning in much despair since you left three years ago. My sister visited him whenever she could and she promised him that if she ever saw you she would bring you home, and make sure that you are safe." Serah inhaled before she continued, "That is why…my sister is always trying to protect you."

He knew that, but something did not seem right. "Anyone should have been at their limits now. No matter how precious or great the promise is, there is no possible way for anybody to want to go this far." He reasoned. Serah was silent for a long time. "I am afraid that you will have to accept the explanation I gave you."

"That is enough, Serah." A familiar voice said. Noctis and Serah turned to see Lightning, leaning against the doorframe tiredly. She pushed herself off and trudged towards the two.

Lightning placed a hand on Serah's shoulder. "There is no need to concern the prince with this. I am fine now, so just abandon the subject." The queen said. Serah wanted to protest. "But Sister—" Lightning placed a finger on her sibling's lips. "Enough now. Go back inside; it is already late." She placed a hand on Serah's back and guided her inside.

The young queen looked back at Noctis. She cleared her throat. "I apologize for earlier, Prince. You are right; I do not know or understand what you have gone through. However, I hope you will one day remember yourself. Your father misses you dearly and you are very fortunate you still have him, as I had said before." Noctis did not respond and Lightning returned inside.

Once he was alone, Noctis growled in frustration. Queen Lightning, ill? It seemed impossible—she was always active, she was powerful and had no signs of any bodily weakness. And yet he had heard her create pained sounds behind closed doors and now Serah had allowed him access to the truth. It was rather preposterous; to think that the queen who nearly everyone saw as a mighty warrior would have or even _hide_ this weakness. Did her people know? He doubted it. Lightning Farron was a proud woman after all.

Noctis decided that it was probably best to stay away from everyone for tonight. Once he was sure nobody was about during this late hour, he changed into the wolf and dashed out of the town and into the desert, opting to sleep under the night sky with the soft sand as his bed for the night.

* * *

**I will end it here for now.**

**I apologize for the long wait. I have been very busy and I have also rediscovered "Gargoyles" a cartoon that use to air on Disney back in the 90's up until the very early 2000's. I have been getting in touch with this favorite childhood show of mine so I had been kind of distracted. But I am glad that I had no managed to finish this chapter off, which is another reason for the long wait: this is a pretty long chapter.**

**So now the truth is out: Lightning is suffering from an illness that gives no warning when it attacks or when it might take Lightning's life for good.**

**Because Lightning has been working hard nonstop since becoming queen, her body started growing so tired to the point that her heart started weakening, and the emotional and mental stress she experiences at times just adds to everything. So if Lightning ever goes beyond her limit or gets hit too hard too many times, or gets hurt by emotional pain, her illness will attack and cause hard coughing accompanied by blood coming out of her mouth. And a fever is also a part of the package whenever the ailment attacks.**

**Lightning being the proud and independent woman and warrior that she is, refuses to let anyone aside from her friends, and now Giovanni (it was not her intention to let Noctis know but Serah thought it would be best if he did anyway), know about her illness.**

**Now you all know what Lightning had been drinking a few chapters back. It is a special potion, unlike the normal potion that heals wounds; it was specially brewed to keep Lightning's heart pains at bay but now every last drop is gone as seen in the last chapter. And now you all know why Lightning seems to have a habit of inhaling and exhaling as calmly as she could.**

**Sorry if this chapter was not too exciting; I just felt that it was time the truth slowly came out at last. For those of you who suspected something wrong with Lightning, you were spot on.**

**Before I end this here, I was asked a question by one of you readers. You asked:** "**When Noctis says that its better if he dies so he'll be reunited with Stella, why does he not kill himself? Does he think that it's cowardly and dying in battle is better as it doesn't look like he's running away?****" **

**The answer to that is yes, that is exactly why. Noctis is quite prideful here and overestimates himself like he does in Versus. But here he overestimates himself by believing he can end up dying an honorable warrior's death and he hates just rotting away like a random animal or just pointing his own blade at his neck. He prefers it if he was killed by someone or something instead of him doing it himself. He believes that is the honorable and non-cowardly way to go.**

**Well that is all for now. Hope you guys enjoyed; I had fun as always so I hope I have not gotten rusty during my absence. And don't worry, if you spot any errors in the chapter, I will be reading it right after it has been uploaded so I will be correcting any errors spotted. See you guys again soon in the next chapter I write!**

**Until then…**


	26. Chapter XXVI: Inner Darkness

**Disclaimer:**** Hey readers. So, Happy Valentines Day! Hope all is well because I have been busy and tired almost everyday! Time to let off some steam with a story!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXVI: Inner Darkness**

Noctis had been reluctant to return but the moment dawn came he had awoken and trotted back to the town, immediately changing into a man before anybody saw him in his wolf body. However, much to his surprise, he found Lightning leaning against the front door of the residence she and the others have been staying in. The prince approached her silently and Lightning immediately looked over in his direction.

"Shouldn't you be resting in bed?" Noctis said as he stopped in front of her. The young queen was silent for a moment but then she shrugged. "… I have recovered several hours ago."

Noctis raised an eyebrow at her; Lightning did seem rather well—not a bead of sweat or any signs of pain was seen on her face. Her chest rose and fell normally and her breathing seemed regular compared to the other day when it had been erratic and forced.  
Lightning noticed his expression. "As you can see, I am completely fine. I cannot guarantee when I might have another attack but for now you can be assured that I am not in the least ill at the moment."

"I see…" Noctis sounded dubious but Lightning chose to ignore him. Instead she headed for the stables; Odin needed a good run outside.  
As the prince watched her, his eyes were drawn to the swaying of her hips. Never before had he seen a woman's hips sway so naturally because she was born with the movement rather than forcing herself to move in such a way. It was a normal body movement for Lightning, but to Noctis it was a modestly seductive movement that the queen had no idea of how it affected him.

Again he tried to push back the lustful urge that overwhelmed him the more he looked at Lightning. But the primal drive was beginning to grow stronger and stronger despite his best efforts to ignore his yearnings. Lightning reappeared with Odin in tow. The majestic steed seemed to stare directly into Noctis' very soul. "We will move on once everybody has awoken. You do not need to come with us, Noctis. Nobody is forcing you so it is your choice." Lightning said as she readied herself to mount the horse's back.

"… Since you are awake, mind if I joined your…stroll?" Noctis asked, surprising even himself with the polite enough tone he used. Lightning was surprised as well but she recovered quickly and nodded. "If that is what you wish, you are welcome to come along." Odin snorted in protest at his queen's words. Lightning shushed him and the horse straightened.  
Noctis chuckled inwardly; strangely he felt somewhat better compared to last night. However, he wondered if Lightning truly did recover her attack the other night, or she was merely pushing the pain back; it would not be surprising since it is Lightning after all. The woman was stubborn.

Lightning pulled on the reins and guided Odin forward. Noctis followed beside the steed.

"Has your wound healed?" He asked suddenly, glancing up at Lightning's proud from atop her faithful steed. The young queen blinked then nodded. "Yes. It does not hurt as much anymore. Though it has not healed fully, I am able to move about just fine now." She answered him while gently steering Odin around towards the oasis. "And you, Noctis? How is your own injury?"  
"I hardly feel the sting anymore." He replied, touching his abdomen gingerly. Lightning nodded and kept her sights forward.

The both of them were silent for a long moment, however this time the quiet did not feel uncomfortable.

Odin seemed rather pleased that his queen was well enough to ride on his back again; he had missed being with his dear partner but he was still worried for her health. Last night he had heard young Serah speaking with the wolf about his queen's sick heart. Odin had wondered if it had been wise of Serah to even tell the wolf anything.  
The steed glanced at Noctis and was rather taken aback when the male human did nothing to irritate Lightning. At least not at the moment—but to Odin that was rather unusual. He knew the male disliked his queen and for that, Odin disliked the prince in return.

However, Lightning did not seem too concerned with the prince's presence despite the many injuries that Odin had become aware she'd obtained recently.

After a long while Lightning dismounted Odin and allowed the horse to drink his fill from the oasis. Noctis watched as the queen moved to the shade of one of the trees and sat there. Reluctantly, he followed her and sat beside her, leaving a few feet distance between them.  
Lightning did not seem to notice or mind. She remained silent as she watched Odin and the rest of the area. She smirked when the stallion began trotting around on his own, the sand flying from beneath his hooves as he went with his majestic head and beautiful mane held high.

Noctis became curious once again. "Tell me, Queen Farron—"

"Call me Lightning."

"… Lightning. Tell me about…your training. I was told by Serah during our search for you that when you had just turned sixteen, you had undergone a rather…hard and difficult training before you faced your very first war."

Lightning thought of her younger days, before she had been inflicted with the illness she currently had. "You really wish to know?" She asked the prince, glancing at him.  
"I asked, did I not?" Noctis growled but then cleared his throat in apology. Usually he did not care if he showed rude behaviors towards Lightning, but ever since he awoke that morning he'd felt the urge to act like a respectful gentleman was. Perhaps it was because of Serah's worried face; the image of it had been imprinted into his mind and it made him feel rather…guilty. He had felt for Serah as if she was his own sister during their search for Lightning, no doubt the strange and slightly maternal feeling was still there.

Lightning raised an eyebrow at him. "Make yourself comfortable then. This story may take a while." She said with a defeated sigh. Noctis scooted closer but still left enough space between them. He looked at her as he got into a comfortable seated position, "I believe we have plenty of time." He waited for her to speak; for now she would have his full attention.  
"I warn you, Noctis, this is not a story that one would usually tell a companion in a _normal_ conversation." Lightning warned, her eyes darkened as if haunted by something until this day. Noctis maintained eye contact with her, too curious to take back his request. "Tell me. I assure you that I have a strong nerve and stomach." He said in a calm tone.

"My training was unlike any other. It was _supposed _to be that way, but…" Lightning trailed off and looked at the sky, "I am afraid it took a turn for the worse, and not even I—already the queen that time—could do a damned thing."  
The prince stared at his boots for a moment before he looked at her again. "Tell me. I wish to know, and if it will reassure you, I give you my word that I will not judge or tell a soul about this." Noctis then placed a hand over his heart as a sign of a simple promise.

Lightning sighed in defeat and glanced at Odin as he grazed on the edible plants he could find, and then began her tale.

_-XIII-_

_As queen she did not have to go through such an initiation. But she was stubborn and wanted to work hard in order to become strong, mostly for her sister's sake, and for her kingdom's. Already a year has passed since she had become queen. Now just freshly-turned sixteen, the young queen found herself amongst the ranks of other adolescents—some the same as her age, and some much older._

_This was their final test before they were to become acknowledged soldiers of Bodhum. They were to remain in the wilderness and survive for three months. Although it was deemed cruel by some, the monarch knew there was a hidden meaning to this test; there were those who only gained access to the royal armies ranks either by a nefarious scheme, or simply because they wished to gain fame should they become a true soldier of Bodhum's royal army.  
The goal of this initiation, this test of wit and survival is to point out those who had falsely claimed to be true soldiers. Sir Amodar himself had trained all the young men and the very few young women she had once seen while taking a stroll through the training grounds._

_But Sir Amodar was just one man. He could not possible keep track of every single pupil he'd trained. Therefore it was necessary to see who had been truly trained and who had merely snuck into the palace's training grounds for the sake of pride and fame.  
Those who are easily frightened off or easily give in to the desire to yield and flee during this test would be seen unfit to become a soldier of Bodhum, however, those who lied of their joining the ranks would not only flee, but they would inevitably confess their schemes while pressed down by the hardships and pressure of the initiation._

_The queen prayed that Amodar's training had been struck into his pupils' heads; it would be ashamed if they were to flee or cry in desperation when they had been trained by the greatest soldier and swordsman of Bodhum. It would put Sir Amodar's name to great shame._

_None of the young men and the very few young women she stood with knew who she truly was. Though she had strolled past the training grounds, they had been busy with Sir Amodar's lessons to pay attention to her presence, and fro that the young monarch is glad. If she were to pass this test of survival then she would need to do so while nobody knew she was the queen of Bodhum herself._

_Within the first day, after being left in the wilderness with nothing but their weapon of choice and the clothes they wore, the apprentices were at a loss on what to do but most of them masked this confusion with a blank expression, but she knew what they were thinking, for she was thinking the same thing. However, unlike them, she was the first to move and scoured the area for any potential danger. This seemed to impress one of the younger apprentices._

"_You seem so…calm. I know that neither of us knows where we have been left. Yet you have no fear." He said in awe. The young queen stared at him blankly. "If you fear then how can you possibly be able to survive without making that first step? Did Sir Amodar teach you nothing?" Her voice was like ice as she spoke._

_The younger apprentice chuckled. "No, I remember. I only meant to say that one does not usually adjust right away."_

_By then the other would-be soldiers had gathered to the queen and the youngest apprentice. "So then, I say we must have someone lead us as we go." An older apprentice announced. The others agreed immediately and one of the female apprentices turned to the silent strawberry-blonde. "Are you our leader then?" She asked, almost hopeful. The others seemed to find this fitting._

"_Yes! I say we let her lead us! She is the first to move on ahead after all!"_

"_Agreed!"_

"_Yes! Let her lead us to survival!"_

_The young queen resisted the urge to massage her temples at the loud voices; these were the ones who would become soldiers. They must not act like children. Had they learned nothing during training? Had Sir Amodar wasted his efforts on them?  
The eldest male apprentice stepped forward. "What is your name?" He asked, his eyes roaming up and down the girl's body suspiciously. The young queen knew she had never said her name during the travel before they had been dropped off. In fact, she did not speak at all. Instead of answering she replied, "That is none of your concern. I merely wish to pass this test so I will do just that."_

_The eldest boy smirked at her. "Fine then. I am Beelzebub." He then pointed at the others. "These amateurs are Amon, Modeus, and Belph." The males nodded their heads in acknowledgement. The eldest female apprentice took her turn at speaking, "I am Eve, and this young one is Delilah." Delilah rolled her eyes at the title of 'young one'; indeed she was the youngest female._

_The queen thought nothing of their introductions but continued on with her scouting._

_Despite her silence, the young female monarch was able to grasp at least a slight insight on the apprentices she had been placed with. She could see that Beelzebub had the gait of a rather confident leader figure but he also seemed to be rather overestimating of himself, perhaps due to the qualities he knew he possessed. The other boys were simple beings but differed from each other; Amon seemed rather impatient and ready to fight just about anything, perhaps even one of the trees should he lose his patience. Modeus seemed more concerned about the females of the party but the queen caught several glances he stole at them. Belph was more quiet but by simply looking at his eyes and posture one could see that he was a rather lazy devil; he occasionally yawned during the journey, nearly irritating the queen.  
Eve was calm but rather curious of their surroundings. At times, the queen had to scold her for trying to touch a plant that was known to be poisonous. Delilah liked to talk, even speaking of idle gossip she'd heard of._

_The young queen did her best to hide her frustrations at her companions but Beelzebub would merely pat her shoulder and chuckle before telling the others to behave once again._

_Like eager young pups did the other apprentices follow the queen's lead despite not knowing her name, or her true identity. But her display of skill impressed them all enough to make them follow her though they tend to stray from the path more times than the monarch could count or tolerate. Beelzebub grew bored quickly, even saying that perhaps there should be changes in how they all are currently surviving._

_At first nobody paid him heed and only saw his words as a result of having nothing else to do._

_During a struggle against pack of silver lobos, the young queen put her training to the test, once again bringing her companions into a state of awe. When she had returned to their side after dispatching the pack, Modeus was the first to praise her. "Such swiftness. Very much like the lightning; flashing bright then fading away only to reappear and destroy the enemies from an unpredictable direction."  
"Yes, like the lightning indeed." Belph commented lazily in his slow and dull voice._

_Delilah grinned at the strawberry-blonde's irritated expression and tried to reassure her. "They are only complimenting you. And I do agree with them; Lightning does suit you."_

_Lightning. Somehow, somewhere down the road her fellow would-be soldiers began calling her that without her knowing when or how it even caught on. Soon it was a name and title she began to recognize. Lightning. There was nothing else to say about the matter so she said nothing in protest over her new moniker._

_The small group created shelter, hunted for food, and even scouted for any dangers. Though Lightning had refused to acknowledge the apprentices' eager voting of her leadership, she knew she had to be responsible for their lives while they were here in the vast wilderness with no other human contact but each other. They may not have known she was their queen, but all the same it was still her duty to protect her people, these apprentices.  
Lightning held announcements whenever a difficult dilemma struck. As best as she could, she prioritized and arranged everything according to the benefits and wellbeing of everyone. She encouraged them to work their best as it was essential for this three-month long survival test._

_As days became one month, Lightning began to see several changes in the party._

_Beelzebub started to grow tired and bored of working constantly and had picked up the habit of wandering off into the forests whenever he pleased. He was the lead hunter among them and was the one who brought down prey for the group. But soon Lightning noticed something different in him; the way his spoke was like that of a leader but he expressed it with overconfident and sometimes even vulgar words._

_He would scoff at Lightning and smirk at her mockingly whenever he had the chance or when he thought she was not looking._

_Soon the queen was at odds with the eldest male of the party. Beelzebub had begun conspiring against her authority and even went so far as to convert the others to his ways. Altogether he had stopped attending to his assigned duties and only hunted for himself but brought the kill to another side, far from their camp. Lightning confronted him several times, but he only scowled and brushed her off. Lightning could see that this concern was beginning to intensify and even the rest of the party was getting out of hand and beyond control._

_Beelzebub's words first seduced Belph; it was not too shocking since Belph was the very definition of a slacking pack mule._

_But now Beelzebub had at least one person at his side. The eldest male then announced that he had created his own 'settlement' on the other side of the forest from where their original camp was at. Lightning glared in disbelief; these young men were trained to be soldiers for Etro's sake and yet they are beginning to act like immature children who wanted to dominate one another.  
Beelzebub promised everyone much food, play, and freedom from work when he spoke to them. To Lightning's dismay, most of them left which left her with Modeus and Eve._

_Modues was another matter to Lightning that she found as irritating as the parasites found within the soil. Modues was clearly a rake; a handsome and seductive young man who could and knew how to offer women pleasure. Many times had Lightning caught and heard him seducing and bedding Eve, and then Delilah. It was disgusting and the young queen had punched Modeus when he had attempted to accost her as well._

_How could these simple-minded apes be the ones Amodar trained? He had treated them all fairly and taught them everything there was to learn about the art of battle. And they had no hesitation of wasting it all._

_Soon Lightning was left alone after she had seen Modues and Eve slip away into the night to join Beelzebub and his cohorts.  
The young queen tried her best not to unleash her anger by unleashing a thunder spell. It was tempting at this point when the apprentices—no, they can no longer be called that— when the cohorts came to her announcing that she was invited for a feast on their settlement, even addressing Beelzebub as their leader._

_With no other choice, Lightning attended their so-called feast. As she looked around she noticed how primal everything seemed; it all felt like she was surrounded by animals rather than people. In Lightning's opinion, even hunter clans like the one Fang originated from, were more civilized. The young queen then noticed someone was missing. Belph was not among them. Delilah had been the one to ease her tension by saying Belph was out on a stroll._

_The queen could only stand in the shadows and watch in dismay as her former companions initiated a rather primitive dance around the fire. They no longer seemed human but resembled wild creatures now._

_A loud yawn caught everyone's attention. In the darkness a figure moved towards the camp. Lightning narrowed her eyes cautiously, only placing her hand on the hilt of her given sword just in case. However, the dancing cohorts noticed the figure as well and hollered in terror. Beelzebub glared at the darkness. "A beast trespassing on our land! Kill it!" He ordered, raising his blade in the air. His followers did the same and rushed at the approaching figure._

_Lightning's heart stopped cold when she realized what was happening. She chased after them urgently. "You fools! Stop this at once; you don't know what you are doing! Fall back now!" To the queen's horror, they had shoved their beast to the ground and stabbed their blades into its back multiple times. The young queen was no long sure how many times they had stabbed their 'adversary' but now the clouds in the sky began to move, revealing the moon and allowed it to shine its silvery light upon everyone._

_Lightning's dread became reality when she saw that her suspicions had been correct all along; the so-called beast that came to invade was only Belph returning to his camp for the feast. Now the slothful boy laid there on the soil, bloodied with many holes in his back from his companions' swords._

_Murder. Lightning, queen of Bodhum had witnessed murder right before her eyes. These adolescents who had originated from Bodhum, or perhaps another country as well, has taken the life of one of their own. Lightning's mind began thinking as a politician would. When she had returned to her own solitary camp, away from the cohorts, she tried to assess the situation at hand. Her former companions had murder Belph, their own friend. It had been too dark for them to see him and know it was him—one part of her mind argued, but the other half of her mind reasoned that it was still murder; Beelzebub and his crazed animals did not stop to think first and had charged at Belph's shadowy form without any hesitation or intentions of making sure that it was one of their companions. They had been ruthless when stabbing their swords into his body. Dark or not, accidental or not, Lightning could come to only one conclusion: these young people were losing their humanity._

_The second month was coming to an end and within several days on the third month, they would all have to be taken back to Bodhum._

_Lightning continued to work and hunt alone while Beelzebub, Eve, Modeus, Amon, and Delilah continued their primitive ways as if Belph's death had never happened.  
It was a disgrace in the eyes of the young queen. To see her own people turn into crazed apes with no remorse for bloodlust was beginning to drain Lightning mentally and even emotionally. She had witnessed them pounce on one another lustfully like rabid dogs in heat and saw as they hunted down helpless prey viciously, piling the corpses at their camp to store. This gave Lightning barely any chance to hunt for herself unless she intended to fight for the prey. But she had no intention of harming any of them despite their loss of human thoughts and actions. She was their queen._

_During the two final days of the initiation, Lightning felt her senses snap. She grabbed her sword and strapped it to her waist. She was going to confront Beelzebub and his cohorts; it was time to end this senseless bloodlust and insanity for good.  
The young queen headed for the rocky ledges where she knew the cohorts liked to spend time enjoying the view of the wilderness. As she expected, they were there, right above her._

"_Beelzebub!" Lightning called out loudly, challengingly._

_The young man looked down at her. "What is it you want, dog? Have you finally decided to be part of my tribe? Or perhaps you came to roll onto your belly and whimper with your tail between your legs like the stray bitch you are?" Beelzebub spat the words at her. His voice and tone reminded Lightning of the tyrants from the dark kingdoms.  
"Your mindless actions must stop!" Lightning said, placing a hand on her sword's hilt, "You have murdered Belph a month ago yet you continued to play in the forests like wild dogs. Have you forgotten why we were left here from the beginning?"_

_Delilah scoffed. "Belph was not truly a soldier-in-training like us! He was an intruder! You saw how much of a lazy devil he was. He never worked so what made you believed he would have managed to gain Amodar's tutelage by working hard? Should he still be alive he could never pass the initiation." _

_Lightning took the news in. So it was Belph all along who was not a real apprentice. But that did not change what had happened. "You all still slaughtered him with your own swords! Are you not ashamed that you stained your hands and the swords of Bodhum with your own companion's blood?"_

"_Belph did not matter. And neither will you." Eve said, biting into a fruit she had in her hand. Lightning looked on in shock. "Spit that fruit out you imbecile! Do you even know what that is?"  
Eve shrugged. "It is food. That is all that matters." She said nonchalantly. The queen roared in frustration at their lack of awareness. "You fool! That is a Mandagora Apple! It is toxic and acts quickly, so spit it out for Etro's sake!" Lightning yelled._

_Eve frowned and in retaliation, she swallowed what she had in her mouth. "You are not my leader, Lightning." She said. She puffed her chest out like a proud oaf but within a second, she grabbed her neck and began coughing. Before anyone could react, Eve plummeted down to where Lightning stood. The young queen kneeled down and pressed her fingers against Eve's neck. No pulse at all. _

"_Damn you Beelzebub!" The queen cursed in a rage, her voice echoed in the air._

_Beelzebub raised an eyebrow. "Do not blame this on me; she picked the fruit herself and ate it. Nobody gave it to her."_

_His careless answer drove Lightning to the edge of her own sanity. Her hand gripped her sword's handle tightly. Delilah, ever the talker, stood up from her spot and began chattering up offensive and nonsense words. Lightning grit her teeth.  
Beelzebub rolled his eyes. "Shut your bloody hole, Delilah!" He ordered, and in his irritation, he shoved the youngest girl from the ledge. The second Delilah's body landed next to Eve's Lightning snapped._

_She drew her sword. "You wish for blood? Come for me then!"_

_Beelzebub, Amon and Modeus seemed to like this offer and climbed down to Lightning's level. The young queen turned and rushed back to where her camp was located. She knew the three young men would give chase. They were now on a manhunt for her._

_The moment they were in Lightning's camp, the queen turned around and threw her sword at her pursuers as if it were a javelin. Beezlebub, Amon and Modeus dodged but the blade managed to nick Modeus' shoulder before the sword struck a tree.  
Lightning whipped her right arm to the side and her own silvery blade materialized in her hands. She quickly disposed of Amon and Modeus with a simple gesture of raising her hand in the air._

_A bolt of lightning fell and struck the two as they charged at her. The thunder spell subdued them and then within that moment the fell to the ground, lifeless._

_Beelzebub spat on the ground. "So this is why you refused to tell us much about you." He glared at Lightning's blade and then right at her cold blue eyes. Beelzebub circled Lightning, bloodlust was clear in his eyes as he poised his sword for the kill.  
"Stop this now. Enough lives have been taken." Lightning said, keeping her grip on her sword tight. The remaining cohort snorted. "Is that an order, Your Majesty? You are not my queen!"_

_Without warning he charged at her like a predator crazed for his prey's blood. Lightning lifted her sword and thrust it forward. Beelzebub screamed in pain as he was impaled onto the queen's sword. Lightning's eyes widened and she kicked the now dead young man off her blade._

_She was shaking as she stared in disbelief at what had occurred; with her own hands, with her own blade she had taken the life of another. Not just another, someone who might have been from Bodhum or any other country._

_Her body had moved without her knowledge as she returned to where the bodies of Delilah and Eve were. She carried them back to camp and laid them with Modeus, Amon and, Beelzebub.  
She could hardly recall when she had dug five large, deep holes and buried them there. They had been young men and women who were close in age to her, but they had lost their humanity while living out in the wild lands._

_Once she was finished with the graves, she fell to her knees._

_How long had she been there? How long had she failed to notice the soldiers from the palace and Amodar running to her side only to stop in shock at the scene? Lightning had been numb on the journey back home. Her shaking never ceased and her hands remained as closed fists.  
Amodar watched her, concerned._

_The moment they all returned, Lightning had escaped her shock and shakily retold the tale to Amodar. The general of Bodhum's army could not express his horror as the queen ended her story, unable to form the words. Now the queen of Bodhum stood before him looking like a lost and scared child rather than a brave young woman of sixteen._

_The terror never left Lightning even after she was announced to have passed the survival test as the only surviving one who participated._

_Serah had seen her older sister turn pale over and over, even noticing how Lightning seemed uncharacteristically clingy to her. Knowing her sibling needed to recover; Serah remained by Lightning's side. She called her sister's name but Lightning shook her head when she heard a different name fall from Serah's lips. _

"_No…" The queen said in a low voice, "That is…not my name… I have…no right to be called by that name."_

_Serah blinked then looked at her sister oddly. "What are you saying, Sister?"_

_The young queen raised her head slowly, her eyes hard and cold. "Lightning… It cannot protect, it only destroys… I am the lightning. I am Lightning."_

_From that day forth all of Bodhum knew her by that name. Her reason for bearing such a name became evident once she stepped onto the battlefield and participated in her first war. She was very young, too young to be in a battle, but she was strong and held the power of the crystal. She became a goddess in her people's eyes, but as time went on, Lightning continued to feel colder and colder until she was certain that every last bit of warmth had left her._

_Her heart hardened as she went on until she knew she was now a worthy warrior who had no sense of fear. It was what she had hoped for but buried within her she knew, she could never truly be rid of the pain, the fear, or the cold as she sat upon her throne._

_-XIII-_

Noctis released the breath he had no noticed he had been holding as soon as Lightning finished her story. It came as a shock of course; he had not expected such a tale from Lightning. As far as he knew, he had expected her to speak of hard trainings under the sun and its blistering heat, but not something quite like this.

Lightning snapped her fingers in front of Noctis' face. "I realize it is quite shocking, but there is no reason for you to be stunned over it."

"Who are you, really? What is your name?" Noctis asked, narrowing his eyes at her. Lightning refused to answer, frustrating the prince further.  
The young queen stood up. "We must go now; the others may wonder where we are." She said. Odin came to her side immediately and she mounted his back.

Noctis followed, too speechless to even say a word to argue or contradict her.

This was something about Lightning Farron he never knew. To have killed somebody—self-defense or not—at that age must have been devastating. Noctis knew he had first killed a man when he was nineteen, during a battle. But Lightning had been too young, only a girl of sixteen. It did not seem right at all, even for the solitary queen.

The moment they reached the residence, Lightning had expected to be tackled into an embrace by Serah. Instead, she caught sight of a stranger standing in the room with her companions. Lightning placed a hand on her sword but Serah stopped her.

Lightning sighed and calmed herself but eyed the hooded stranger cautiously. To her and even Noctis' surprise, he laughed and so did Fang.  
"Come now, Highness. Do not say you have forgotten me already!" The voice sounded so familiar. Before Lightning could respond, the man lifted the hood from his face, revealing that warm fatherly smile.

Lightning was taken aback. "Sir Amodar!"

* * *

**I will end it here for now.**

**I know this kind of event is not really ideal for a Valentine's Day thing, but it had to be done. Once again, more of Lightning's past is revealed here.**

**The initiation test and the events that had occurred are a reference to "The Lord of the Flies" in which the boys, like the cohorts in the chapter, had lost their humanity and began acting more primal and savage while Lightning was the only one who remained sensible.**

**However, from the beginning, the company she had with her were already pretty much misfits from the start but Amodar thought training them would help them improve. Unfortunately not.**

**The names of the cohorts are references as well. Beelzebub's name translates to "Lord of the Flies", and he is also known as the Devil, Delilah is a reference to "Samson and Delilah" as the woman who betrayed Samson for money, Eve is a reference to "Adam and Eve" and it is made more obvious when she meets her end by eating a certain fruit, Amon is a reference to one of the seven princes of hell who tempts men with the sin of wrath, Modeus is the shortened version of Asmodeus, another prince of hell who has a burning desire to tempt men into wantonness, and Belph is the shortened version for Belphgor who is another prince of hell who tempts people with the sin of sloth.**

**Now as you can see, this past of Lightning's also reveals a part of how and why Lightning grew into the present time Lightning. She was traumatized by having no choice but to kill Beelzebub out of self-defense, even if she herself had snapped and initiated the battle. But what truly bothered her was that she had allowed every single one of the cohorts to die. As queen she knew she was responsible for them even if they had not known who she truly was (except Beelzebub who only discovered it before his end).**

**She blames herself for letting the meaningless deaths happen and felt weak and helpless for not being able to intervene like she thought she should have. This event is what made Lightning abandon her birth name in favor of the title the cohorts had given her when she realized that it did indeed relate to her. **

**Because of this she begins her transformation to the Lightning we all know now. And also due to the emotional and mental trauma she had felt those years ago, it had added to the development of the illness we now know she has.**

**At last Amodar makes his true debut. Hope you guys like this chapter; sorry that it's kind of short but more will come. Stay awesome you guys and I will see you again in the next chapter!**

**Until then…**


	27. Chapter XXVII: Escape the Sands

**Disclaimer:**** Hey guys I am back with a new chapter! Hope you did not wait too long. It was time for the midterms so… Anyway, go ahead and let out some steam!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXVII: Escape the Sands**

"_I trust you are enjoying yourself?" Sir Amodar asked with a fatherly smile as he watched the eldest Farron and her companions stroll through the market.  
The new queen frowned slightly as she took in the sights; she now ruled over everyone and everything her eyes sat upon. She knew that every child wished to be able to rule over their kingdom but Lightning knew better; ruling and obtaining such power had no meaning especially when your most precious loved ones were gone. Lightning felt a tug on her arm and looked beside her to see Serah's bright smile. "You still have me, Sister. Do not worry; I will never leave your side." The younger Farron nuzzled Lightning's arm, making the young queen smile just a bit._

_At only sixteen years of age, Lightning Farron is the youngest ruling monarch known. It was supposed to be a rather grand title, she supposed. But it brought no pang or pride in her chest._

_Fang suddenly grinned and looked over at the queen and princess. "Let's look at the animals! They usually bring in interesting ones to sell, I can tell about each and every one of them." Serah also grinned at the thought of seeing any kind of animal, even the monsters that roam, as long as she knew the viewing distance was safe._

_Like usual, Lightning tensed protectively but did not object to the soon-to-be general's suggestion. Beside Sir Amodar, Lightning's young handmaiden Vanille tugged on the large man's hand. "May we, Sir Amodar? May we?" The general laughed at the children's enthusiasm and patted Vanille's head. "Why not let your… queen decide?" He said in a low tone so that only he and the girls could hear and not draw attention to them. _

_Immediately Serah, Vanille, and Fang looked at Lightning eagerly. The strawberry-blonde girl frowned with distaste at her new title but she knew she would have to learn to live with it especially since she would have to rule for a long time due to her being very young and fit.  
Lightning shook herself from her thoughts then looked at her companions and saw that, much to her dismay; Sir Amodar was also looking at her and waiting for her answer like the girls were._

_Lightning sighed. "Very well… We can go." _

_Serah jumped for joy along with Vanille and both younger girls tackled Lightning in a large hug, nearly knocking the new queen over. Lightning grunted and resisted the urge to shove them away. Fang laughed at her friend's dismayed expression before she pulled the younger girls off.  
Sir Amodar chuckled and walked ahead. "Come then children."_

_The girls followed behind him eagerly but Lightning lagged behind everyone else, still deep in her remorseful thoughts; she had wished she had been stronger then perhaps she could have prevented her parents' deaths. Many times had she told that neither she nor anybody else could have done anything, but that still did not comfort her or change her wish to grow stronger.  
Now that Serah was all she had left, she was determined to make sure nothing was to harm her younger sister. Serah would be next in line to rule once Lightning was done with her time of ruling Bodhum._

"_Lightning, come! You are moving too slow!" Fang called out impatiently. Lightning sighed and walked faster until she was in step with the others._

_As soon as they had arrived to where animals were to be sold, loud banging and screeching could be heard. Serah looked up at Sir Amodar in confusion but the general just shook his head. Vanille stared at the people that had gathered as well as the men in front, knowing there were the merchants who wished to sell an animal. However, she did not like how they looked. The men were large but they seemed unfriendly. Vanille began to worry about the animal they had brought along. Fang narrowed her eyes cautiously, obviously sharing Vanille's silent opinion._

_Lightning stood beside Serah, watching as the merchants began their show of animals. _

_Several chocobos of the colors blue, green, and the typical yellow were brought in front. They seemed well-cared for enough and were friendly to those who purchased them from the merchants. Fang noticed how the large birds seemed eager to go home with anyone, as long as that human was friendly._

_Another loud cry caught everyone's attention, and nearly startled the girls. Lightning watched as one of the merchants nodded and on cue, two stable boys appeared while yanking at a rope. Neighing could be heard and everybody present became stiff; some with surprise and some with eagerness. Soon a stallion with the blackest body and the whitest mane and tail appeared.  
The stable boys struggled to control the animal but the stallion continued to fight back and stood on its hind legs to rear at his captors._

_At the sight of such a rare creature, the audience could not help but be captivated by the raging beast's beauty. The stallion was large in size, sturdy with strong muscles and long legs fit for a long run and for working. Its coat was shiny black from its rear to its head and hooves, but the horse's mane and tail were the opposite; a pure snowy white color which both complimented and contrast the horse's black coat._

_Lightning stared at the beauty. This was her first time seeing a real live horse, and even though the animal was raging at the moment, she could feel its strength and see the pure majesty of the stallion's wild and untamed spirit. It was a shame that these merchants were obvious trying their best to break this horse's spirit in order to make him the perfect prize in exchange for the fortune a rare animal such as a horse was worth._

_The boys jumped back to avoid another attack but the stallion now saw his chance and began bucking, kicking his back legs around viciously._

_The merchants and stable boys desperately tried to control the beast but the stallion neighed loudly and reared, nearly hitting them with his hoof.  
The audience began scattering while some remained to assist with controlling the horse. Sir Amodar and the girls watched with wide eyes as the wild stallion continued to fight, even tossing his head back when one of the men grabbed onto the rope around his neck._

_Lightning looked to the left and noticed one of the merchants—an angry-looking man—held up a strange-looking pipe and aimed one side at the horse and placed his mouth on the other side. Lightning's eyes widened in realization; Fang had taught her about the many kinds of weapons that hunters used. And a blowgun was one of those weapons of choice._

_Without hesitation, the young queen leapt over the makeshift fence, much to her companions' shock._

_She rushed to the stallion's side and stared up at the raging animal. The stallion saw her and cried out even louder and began to rear again. Lightning dodged the hoof that came down above her head and raised her arms, trying to grip at the rope that fly about due to the horse whipping his head back and forth. Sir Amodar watched silently. When the merchants and stable boys tried to intervene, he stopped them in their tracks._

_Serah watched worriedly as Lightning grabbed the rope and pulled back as hard as she could._

_The stallion did not like this and continued to rage. Lightning grunted but pulled back again until she was able to reach out and touch the horse's snout. "Calm yourself!" She ordered in the stern voice she had developed in order to make sure nobody questioned her. The stallion snorted and tried to attack again but Lightning once again moved out of the way and placed her hand on the horse's snout once more. "Hush! Calm yourself. Hush." She said._

_To the shock of every witness, the stallion began to calm down. The animal's eyes had a curious gaze in them as he began to lessen his struggles in order to have a better look at the young human standing before him. Lightning stroked his snout and the stallion leaned his head downwards to get a closer look at her face and even take in a bit of her scent._

"_There now… See? All is well." Lightning said as she stroked the stallion's smooth, black face and silky white mane. It was strange because she, like everybody else in the world, knew that horses were animals so rare that some believed they were either extinct or were nothing but a child's tale during bedtime. But here she was, touching the fine coat of this wild animal.  
The stallion suddenly pulled away and snorted; he was curious but he did not trust the adolescent female. However it struck him as strange that she stood her ground better than the much older humans did._

_The merchant with the blowgun glared at the young girl for interfering and prepared to fire a dart at the stallion._

_Lightning's keen eyes noticed and she quickly yanked on the stallion's rope, pulling him forward as the dart from the blowgun flew towards the horse's rear but missed and instead hit the wood of the makeshift fence. Realizing what had happened; the stallion neighed in rage and charged through the fence, escaping his captors. Lightning cursed under breath.  
Sir Amodar and the girls joined her. "Sister, are you all right?" Serah inspected Lightning for any injuries she might have unknowingly obtained. The young queen looked at the merchants sternly but none of the men recognized who she was, but that did not matter to her._

"_After that horse! He's worth a fortune!" Yelled the man with the blowgun._

_Fang glared at the merchant. "Treating a rare creature like some…object!" She growled, wanting to punch the man's face regardless of whether it would be a courteous thing to do or not. Lightning turned to where the stallion had run off to and ran off.  
Sir Amodar and Serah followed after her before Vanille and Fang had noticed they were left behind and they soon ran after their companions as well._

_Lightning was rather surprised when she had realized that the horse was nowhere to be seen. It would appear that the beast has made his escape after all._

_When the young queen and her companions returned to where the disorder had taken place, she could see the merchants looking rather angered by the loss of the stallion. Of course the horse would be worth more than a few pieces of gold; it was to be expected when a creature is that rare.  
The men saw Lightning and stormed over to her. "You have cost us our fortunes, girl! Because of you the stallion is gone! Do you know how long it took us to find one and capture it? That beast is wild and worth a large property!" The man who had the blowgun bellowed in Lightning's face._

_It was clear once again that they did not recognize who Lightning was. It came as no surprise since Lightning had not made many personal appearances since becoming queen so it was inevitable that some individuals would be unable to see who she was._

_Lightning remained neutral with her expression when facing the angry merchants. It felt like long hours while the merchants bellowed and complained. When Lightning had finally become fed up, she turned on her heels and walked back to the palace, leaving the enraged men behind to clean the disorder that had been taken place._

_Amodar watched as the young queen kept a blank yet stern face throughout their walk. He knew she was trying her best to grow, to become a queen instead of a mere girl of the age of sixteen. It was a harsh reality for a child her age but she had no other choice for she is the eldest and firstborn child of the late king and queen of Bodhum.  
Once they all reached the palace, Lightning immediately headed for her bedchambers. She was tired and wanted to sleep. Neither of her companions said a word as they watched her, knowing that she would need some time to herself._

_A knock on her door, made Lightning sit up and allow the person in. Sir Amodar walked into her bedchamber and saluted. "Pardon my disturbance, Majesty," he said as he walked to the queen's bedside._

_Lightning got out of bed and faced the man. "Was there something you needed?" Amodar shook his head. "I merely came to talk, Highness. I know it must be…difficult for you still. But you must understand; what happened those months ago was not your fault."  
Realizing what the general was speaking of, Lightning turned away and walked towards the large windows in her room. "I could not prevent them from becoming the savages they had turned into. Nor was I able to prevent their meaningless loss." She said in a low, rueful voice._

_Amodar sighed. "I understand what you are going through, my queen. I had trained them knowing full well that they were…troubled children. I had thought training them with discipline just as I had trained you and Fang would help them…improve their being."  
The young queen continued to stare at the distance, though her eyes were unseeing of the view before her outside the window. "They still perished because of my weakness." She insisted, clenching her fists._

"_It was not weakness." Amodar reassured, placing a gentle hand on the young queen's shoulder. "As your friend and mentor I would have told you if it had been weakness or not." "Would you really?" Lightning challenged, glancing up at the man sternly.  
It was plain as the day that Lightning Farron disliked being pitied or treated special compared to everybody else. She wanted and needed honesty, and anything genuine. Finally Amodar nodded to her. "I give you my word, Queen Farron. What sort of mentor would I be if I did not tell you the truth of whether you had been strong enough or not during an urgent situation?"_

_She seemed to accept this answer but said nothing more. Until this day the faces of her former companions and the incident of the survival test had haunted her. Amodar said nothing more and bowed his head before he left the queen by herself to think._

_-XIII-_

It had been years but Lightning recognized her and Fang's mentor anywhere, especially that fatherly smile he always wore.

Fang was grinning from ear to ear and Serah was smiling. Lightning approached her mentor and bowed her head. "Sir Amodar. It has been…years." She said, unsure of what else to say at the moment. The former General of the Army laughed and roughly pats Lightning's shoulder. "Ah, still so serious after all this time. My, you have grown since the last time I have seen you," He said admiringly, stepping back to get a better look at Lightning's form.

"I can see how much you have progressed since the time I had left. And you Fang," he turned his attention to his successor, "you have become quite the soldier. I have heard much of you."

Fang smirked proudly. "Of course. After all, I did pledge loyalty to my queen." The huntress looked at Lightning teasingly and the queen rolled her eyes.  
Amodar laughed; the young girls he had known years before were still themselves but at the same time he could clearly see the changes in them. Both Lightning and Fang were stronger than he could every teach them to be, and Serah and Vanille were both fine ladies. However, Amodar noticed something about Serah's arms.

"Lady Serah, may I?" Amodar asked, pointing at Serah's arm. The younger Farron understood and nodded. When the former general wrapped his hand around her arm, he seemed impressed. "You have grown stronger as well, I see. I assume your sister has continued to train you?" Serah smiled. "Yes. Although I am much more comfortable with a bow than with a sword, but I am _hopefully_ becoming better." She looked at Lightning who cleared her throat and glanced in another direction.

Amodar noticed Noctis and chuckled. "This must be the infamous Prince Caelum, am I right?" His jest was light but Noctis frowned at the man. Giovanni nodded. "Indeed you are correct; that is my son, Noctis Lucis Caelum."  
Amodar nodded in acknowledgement. "An honor to finally meet you in person, Prince Caelum. I have heard much about how well you hold a sword." The compliment caught Noctis off guard but he regained his composure and cleared his throat, "… That is…nice of you to say."

Vanille decided to speak. "Sir Amodar, why are you here? Did something happen? Do you know what is happening?"

The former general turned to her and crossed his arms. "I cannot really say… I journeyed here to Dead Dunes after I had heard of what had happened to Bodhum. I could not possibly believe that Queen Farron would easily fall in battle; after all I was the man who trained her _and_ General Fang." At his words, Fang grinned widely and placed her lance against her shoulder while Lightning crossed her arms as she leaned against the nearest wall.  
"So it is true then? Lord Caius has taken Bodhum?" Amodar asked. His fears were answered when Lightning nodded stiffly. The man paused, thinking before he asked his next question. "… I assume Your Highness has a plan then…?"

Lightning glanced at her former mentor. "I do. It has been put into motion already. The next step is leaving Dead Dunes and then crossing over to the kingdom of Nibelheim. The king and queen had already been notified and they had sent us their response; they are expecting us."

Amodar considered this for a moment. "Then it seems you have already planned everything." Lightning shook her head, looking at everyone in the room. "Almost everything; there is still a chance that the Cruor Mucro may search for us. I know they will not take any chances. I may have been presumed dead, but many know that I am not easily killed. In the event that they hear of rumors that any of us from Bodhum had survived, it is highly likely that they will send out spies wherever they could reach in order to find us." Lightning said, her eyes turning hard as she spoke.

"Ah, that reminds me," Amodar said, "I have a small message for you, Lady Farron. A woman and her husband had requested that I deliver it to you." He paused to clear his throat before speaking again, "They said that they had arrived to their hometown safely and that so far everything has been rather peaceful. Should you pass by you are most welcome to visit. And that is all I was told to tell you."

Lightning's expression became distant and Noctis could have sworn there was a ghost of a relieved smile on her lips. But he could have easily imagined it.

Serah had her own smile plastered on her lips. "Thank Etro they are all right!" She said with a relieved sigh. Lightning nodded in agreement, and to Noctis' irritation, it seemed that Fang and Vanille also knew what the sisters were saying.  
Sensing his confusion, Lightning offered, "Do you remember the woman and her husband from the brothel?" Right away the prince's eyes widened; he still remembered. He also recalled when Lightning had grabbed the man's knife with her own bare hand. "I remember them. So, they had escaped Bodhum as well?" Noctis asked.

The queen shook her head. "The day before Valhalla attacked; I released the woman's husband and sent them on their way. It seems that they had decided to return to their place of origin. Hopefully…things will go in their favor now that they have settled there." Strangely, she sounded worried to Noctis but he was unsure if she truly was.

"Well now we have to figure out a way to leave Dead Dunes while it is still peaceful to move about freely." Fang said, tapping her lance against her shoulder impatiently. "If it is true that there may be spies here already then I am almost certain that we should be cautious while leaving; if we move too eagerly we will be suspected, but move too slowly and we might become trapped here."

"If memory serves me correctly, several merchants will leave here and travel to the next town. Perhaps if you were to…mingle with them, you may leave undetected." Amodar suggested. Nobody spoke for a moment, taking the time to digest everything they might have thought of. It would make sense to blend with the merchants who intended to leave Dead Dunes, but what were the odds of success? What if soldiers were to intrude as they speak and insist on inspecting the merchants or anybody who stepped in and out of Dead Dunes?

Lightning glanced at Giovanni, remembering what the next first priority was. "Sir Amodar." The former general looked at the queen when she spoke his name.

Lightning nodded towards the ruler of Nifleheim. "I request that you escort Lord Giovanni back to Nifleheim once the rest of us have managed to leave Dead Dunes. It is for the best that he returns to his kingdom and keeps watch from there." She explained.  
Giovanni looked like he had wished to protest but as a man of his age, he knew when it was best for him to stand down before he were to bring damage upon himself.

Vanille looked worried. "You are not coming with us, Sir Amodar?" "Ah, I wish I could Vanille. But it might be best that I continue on my own way. I may be able to assist you by alerting several allies of mine." Amodar offered. Serah nodded in approval. "That would be most helpful indeed!"

Noctis glanced Lightning's way and frowned. "You know that the Cruor Mucro is nobody's fool. They will leave no stone unturned when searching for survivors, and they _will_ come after the others of the Alliance as well."  
"I am aware," Lightning acknowledged, "I am nobody's fool either, Prince. Perhaps you should learn to do the same." Noctis blinked then glared at Lightning. "What are you implying?" He growled threateningly. The young queen shrugged and offered no more explanation for her words, exasperating Noctis even further; he hated being kept in the dark and he hated being ignorant.

"What about you then?" Lightning asked, "What will you do once it is time for us to leave this place? Have you any idea on where you must be?"

For a long time Noctis was silent. He had considered running off into the nearest forest or perhaps traveling the world as the wolf; discovering many hidden wonders that no human had ever seen or ever will discover. He had planned to move on with his life, alone like a wolf without a care about the trivial matters and worries of the human world.  
Noctis had for so long dreamt of being free from his chains as a prince, and by being the wolf it was always possible. But now as he stood there, watching Lightning's companions, and his father chat with Amodar he felt…cold, perhaps a little lost.

He had always been prepared to leave behind all he knew because they longer had any meaning to him; his kingdom, his father, the Alliance…none of them meant anything to him every since he lost _her_. So why did he feel like hesitating? What reason was there for him to feel hesitant when he knew there was nothing left in life for him to look forward to?  
Was it because he was beginning to feel pity for Lightning for her illness? Serah had said that the queen was dying, slowly but surely. It was rather impossible to believe after witnessing how much she was capable of.

"Take your time to think, Noctis. You are free from any chains and we do not hold you down to anything." Lightning said after Noctis had shown nothing but silence.

Before long everybody had settled down for the day, planning had been placed aside for the moment in favor of catching up with Amodar after not hearing from him for years.  
He was just as Lightning and Fang remembered him, though he seemed to have grown wiser and perhaps a little stronger. They still had no idea as to why Amodar had decided to leave his home in Bodhum, but Lightning had decided that perhaps he wished to go on a journey for his own sake but Fang had felt closer to the man and continued to question the reason to this day.

"So tell me how you have been faring, Lady Farron? I can see that you have gained more height again. When will you stop growing so tall?" Amodar joked lightly, placing a hand on the queen's shoulder.

As always, Lightning remained quite serious but could not help a small smirk from forming on her face. "I think this is as far as my body can reach in height." She replied, actually serious about her answer. Fang and Vanille chuckled and giggled, making the queen stare at them questioningly. Serah wrapped her arms around Lightning's and leaned against her shoulder.

Noctis watched as they interacted, feeling like this was a whole new experience taking place before his very eyes. Even the very stern and rigid queen did not seem so tense as she had been a few moments ago.

"Sir Amodar was King Adonis' general long before Fang became old enough to take his place." Giovanni explained, "He mentored both Lightning and Fang when they were merely young girls, younger than when you began your training. He left when the queen was seventeen…"  
Noctis took in the information from his father. So this man was _the_ General Amodar then, the soldier known for his brilliant strategic mind and battle prowess. Amodar did not appear like much but Noctis knew that it was the most fatal mistake many made in their lifetime; being fooled by appearances. The voice at the back of his head reminded him that he too had been deceived that same way.

The prince shook his head and pushed the voice away, wishing that he could ignore it and be rid of that reasoning voice for good.

Amodar laughed as he exchanged stories with the royal sisters, and Fang and Vanille. It was like a reunion between a distant and broken family. Giovanni smiled as he watched; he missed the days when his queen had been by his side, and Noctis was but a boy who loved to smile, play with other children and ask innocent questions about the world.  
It only felt like a year ago when he had watched Noctis grow into a man. He was proud of how physically strong and handsome his son had become and despite how dangerously obsessed he was with a past love that had been nothing with a charade, on the brighter side it meant Noctis was a man who would be faithful, loyal, and loving.

Giovanni could not have felt prouder. Now he only wished his son would be able to pursue someone who had the heart to care about him the same way.  
The king glanced at the eldest Farron. It had surprised him with how far Lightning would go to protect his only son, even if she did promise that she would make sure Noctis remained alive and well; nobody could possibly go that far even for a promise.

* * *

"I have eyes placed everywhere here in Dead Dunes. I am certain they will have something useful for us." Amodar announced as he and the others strolled down the bazaar.  
Noctis glanced at Lightning, noting her calm expression and her serious cold eyes. Outside she remained composed but internally she seemed rather worried, perhaps even more cautious than ever. But was she cautious about her illness returning or about the many eyes Amodar had entrusted duty to? Or perhaps it was both?

The prince thought of the story she had told him, about her three-month long struggle to survive while her supposed comrades grew mad with bloodlust and animalistic desires of play and freedom. Noctis shook his head when the words he'd used to describe them reminded him of his own desire for freedom. No, he was nothing like them. He wanted freedom but in a different way.

"You seem distracted." Lightning commented, glancing the prince's way.

Noctis cleared his throat. "Only a daydream; nothing of concern." Lightning seemed to doubt his words but let him be. It surprised Noctis with how much Lightning seemed to be backing away from a conversation when he said so; he had grown rather used to her insisting he speak but now she no longer seemed to care.  
It was rather disorienting and at the same time it made Noctis feel frustrated; it was already difficult to keep up with Lightning as it is. But now once again he cannot even tell or predict what is on her mind at this moment; she did not even look at him as much anymore. He felt his chest tighten and his heart drop. Had she given up on him at last? If so then he had thought he would be happier when she did.

Amodar finally stopped walking and chuckled. "My first source is in there." He pointed and Fang all but laughed. When Noctis looked at Lightning to ask her about Fang's behavior, the queen seemed to have paled. Serah tapped Noctis' shoulder then gestured to where Amodar was pointing; it was a brothel.

Noctis' eyes widened in realization. "I see. You were hoping to avoid that place from what I can remember." He said to the queen. She stepped back and cleared her throat, "I will remain here."

Fang did not seem to take this as an answer and chuckled teasingly, "Come now Lightning is that any way for a queen to rid herself of her worst fear?" Her general's jesting was not helping at all. Lightning glared icily. "I refuse to be accosted for your childish entertainment, Fang. And that is my final decision." Lightning refused to move any closer when Amodar motioned for everyone else to go ahead and meet his spy.

Vanille glanced at the queen. "I do not think it will be possible to avoid being accosted…"

At her words, Lightning glared suspiciously. To answer the young queen's silent question, Vanille stepped aside while two brothel girls emerged. They passed Noctis and threw appreciative glances his way but the prince merely glared at them.  
Their eyes then landed on Lightning and they immediately grew bright with recognition. The queen groaned and rubbed her temples. "Dear Etro, why must you despise me so?"

Fang burst into laughter. "This certainly brings back memories," She said in between laughs as Amodar and Giovanni looked on, looking rather puzzled.

Noctis' eyes narrowed as the two women approached Lightning with their hips swaying. The queen glared at them once they were near enough.  
Serah was unsure how to assist her sister with the two persistent women clamoring for her attention. Lightning looked more tired than anything and did her best to slither away from the brothel girls' wandering hands and prying eyes.

Noctis was amused but Lightning's tired eyes reminded him of when she had laid in bed, sick.

Though it frightened Noctis that he was beginning to feel some sympathy for the queen, his better judgment would not let him walk away while the queen was doing her best to move away from the increasingly insisting brothel girls. He knew Lightning was able to shove them away if she had to but she did not seem to be in any sort of mood for trivial distractions.

Before he could stop himself, Noctis moved towards Lightning and placed himself between her and the brothel girls. "I apologize but we have important matters to attend to." The prince ushered Lightning over to her companions, leaving the brothel girls torn between being impressed with Noctis' dark and handsome features and annoyed by the interruption.

Lightning watched Noctis carefully, not saying a word. His actions came as a surprise once again. What had gotten into the prince on this day, she wondered.

"I apologize for the location but it was the best way she could avoid detection." Amodar explained once they were inside. Lightning kept Serah pressed to her side protectively.  
The women in the brothel kept casting glances at Lightning and Fang, especially Noctis. The prince knew that during his adolescent days he would not have hesitated to take one of the women to his bed but now he found no pleasure in even just the thought of doing so; it still sounded tempting but he had no desire to touch any women, especially not ones from the brothels.

Fang wrinkled her nose at the unwanted attention. "I am flattered but I do not think I will enjoy the…treatment." Lightning glared at Fang disbelievingly and rolled her eyes; the nerve of that woman!

Amodar led the party into a private room and entered behind them, locking the door. At once, somebody addressed the formal general. "Ah Amodar… So you have decided to seek me out here." The party glanced at the corner of the room, noting the figure that remained in the shadows. Amodar chuckled. "As always, you are aware of my intentions. Yes, I do need some assistance." He gestured to Lightning.

"Queen Farron. A pleasure to meet you at last; I had hoped that the Cruor Mucro had been wrong when they say you had died in battle." The woman's voice said.  
Boldly, Lightning stepped forward. "What is it you can offer us?" She question, eyeing the female figure suspiciously. The shady woman laughed at the young monarch's caution, "I do not fault you for not…trusting me easily even though I have known your former mentor for a long time. Better to keep on the safe side, yes? Indeed, what _can_ I offer you?"

Lightning watched as the woman remained in the shadows while walking to the other side of the room. Fang leaned against the nearest while, her eyes also trained on Amodar's comrade. "Do you think she is reliable?" Vanille asked quietly, tapping Fang's arm. The huntress shrugged. "If Sir Amodar can trust her, then I suppose we have to do the same thing as well." She said.

"I have heard many things—idle gossip, truths, and lies…which one do you wish to hear, Majesty?" The woman stalled. Amodar sighed, "Come now, let's not be difficult."  
The woman laughed. "I was merely jesting, my friend. But if you wish for me to be blunt then I will say this; tonight Dead Dunes will be infested with soldiers of Valhalla under orders from Lord Caius."

Fang cursed under her breath and everyone in the room except for Lightning and Amodar, tensed. The woman held a hand up.

"I assume Amodar had suggested traveling with the departing merchants, yes? Fortunately I do know a man who travels in order to sell his wares. Be warned; he is rather bitter but for the right price he will not speak of your presence to anyone." The woman explained.  
Amodar released a groan, "Is this merchant truly trustworthy? I have seen how he deals with his business. The man is ruthless and would not hesitate to grab money that comes within his sights."

The spy chuckled, "Indeed. And that is why we must use this weakness to our advantage, dear Amodar."

"Very well," Lightning spoke, "When must we expect this…merchant to leave Dead Dunes?" The others seem to wish to protest but the hard look in Lightning's eyes stopped them. The spy moved to a small box that sat on a bed. She reached over and opened it. "Look inside, my queen."  
Lightning cautiously walked closer and peeked inside the box. She raised an eyebrow at the object that resided inside. It was a silver pin that was shaped like an actual human heart.

Noticing the queen's expression the spy laughed again. "Give the merchant this pin and he will know that you are the ones whom I have arranged to travel with him until you are far enough from Dead Dunes." It was simple and easy but the sight of the object made Lightning's eyes darken.

"… Why a human heart?" She asked. The spy understood that the queen was questioning the appearance in which the pin was shaped. "I suppose that _is _a rather obscene appearance for a simple object as a pin, however I cannot say much, only that it provides promise to some; promise of their enemies' hearts."

"You wish for me to take Caius' heart as a prize." Lightning growled. Amodar placed a hand on his former pupil's shoulder. "It only means that they wish for the Cruor Mucro's defeat," He reassured.

Noctis felt his own heart race; he had wished to take apart the heart of his enemies for taking away everything from, but when he looked at Lightning he realized that although she wished to destroy her enemies as much as anyone else did, she would not resort to the ways of a barbarian. The prince groaned; honor had no meaning. Not anymore.

Serah was at her sister's side in an instant as Lightning pocketed the silver pin. The queen sighed and glared at the spy. "I trust your word is as good as Sir Amodar's…?"

The woman did not seem to take offense and merely nodded in understanding. "Of course, milady. Upon my honor you have my utmost loyalty and truthfulness." She turned to Amodar, "And you old friend? What will you do from here on?"  
Amodar sighed tiredly. "I will do what I _can_ from where I can…" He faced Lightning and Fang. "Forgive me, my former pupils…I do wish to come with you."

"Say no more." Fang said. "You have my word that we will make it out of here, and liberate Bodhum." The huntress twirled her lance, narrowly missing Lightning's head. The queen glared at her general sternly. Noctis coughed to hide a snicker but his smirk could not be kept at bay while Vanille calmed her stubborn companion down.

* * *

"Poor Odin, to be kept in here all day long…" Serah said while stroking the stallion's face.

Lightning continued to stare at the pin blankly before she clenched it in her fist. "What do the people want from me Serah? To liberate Bodhum or to become an animal and destroy the Cruor Mucro?" The question caught Serah off guard, and Odin stared at his master as well.  
The queen pocketed the pin and walked to the entrance of the stable. "I want nothing more than to crush the dark kingdom with my own hands, but I have not felt so strongly for so long I am afraid that even hatred will escape me."

Serah moved away from Odin and placed her hands against her sister's back. "Do you _want_ to hate the Cruor Mucro?"

Lightning remained still, unsure of how to answer such a question. "… I do not know. I _should_ hate them; years ago I would not have hesitate to pierce my blade through my enemies' hearts but now…I see that it would change nothing to simply hate and destroy them. I do not feel any sympathy for them, make no mistake."  
The queen stared at her hands. "I do not know what I should feel. I do not know what I am feeling or if I am feeling anything at all." Suddenly it began to feel as if the world had begun to spin. Lightning did her best to control the dark emotions that dwelled within her.

Serah pressed herself against her older sibling's back; she did not have to see her sister's face to know that the young queen's eyes are clouded. Lightning turned to face her and the sisters stared t each other silently. Slowly, Lightning raised a hand close to touching Serah's face but she stopped. She looked at her hand then at the younger Farron's face before she dropped her hand and stepped away, leaving Serah alone at the stables.

From underneath the shade of the palm tree Noctis watched as Lightning retreated back to the residence and Serah remained at the stables. The prince turned his gaze to the younger sister.

Serah sighed in defeat and sat on the bales of hay that sat by the entrance of the stable. Deciding that it was safe for him, Noctis emerged from his spot.  
The younger Farron lifted her head to meet the prince's gaze then looked away. "… You saw that?" She twiddled her thumbs as Noctis came closer to her.

"I could not understand a word that was being said." He admitted, glancing at the direction in which Lightning had retreated.

Serah followed his gaze. "My sister has not always been like that. She had always been so sure and confident in the decisions she made and in whatever she was feeling even if she hardly showed it openly…" She admitted, "But ever since she became ill…she began losing confidence in herself, even in her own emotions."

Noctis raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?" Serah did not say a word and merely stared at her own boots. "At least tell me what the both of you were talking about. It did not make much sense." Noctis said, narrowing his eyes.

With reluctance, Serah decided to explain. "I assume you heard everything?" When the prince nodded she continued, "In the past Lightning used to be more…a lot like you I suppose. She held so much hatred for the Cruor Mucro, and she still does I suppose…"  
"She said she was not sure how she felt," Noctis reminded, "What did she mean by those words?" Serah played with the sleeves of her tunic nervously. "I should not say too much, it would be best if you spoke to Lightning. But…what she meant by that was… My sister is confused."

"Confused whether she should destroy the enemy or not?" Noctis wondered, more puzzled now.

"Like I said; she no longer has the confidence in her own decisions. Being ill and knowing that one day she might… It is taking its toll on her, pressures her." Serah did not want to admit that one day her sister, the only blood-family she had left would wither away. Who could ever find the heart to admit such a thing? And although Lightning never spoke a word of it, Serah knew her older sister was just as worried.

Noctis asked no more questions but he stole a glance at Odin. He could have sworn that the horse was staring right at him, as if he were trying to look into the prince's very soul. Without another word, the prince left Serah to herself. The younger Farron let him be and decided to give Odin some attention, feeling that the stallion might have felt somewhat neglected for the past few days.

Noctis knew there was nothing else for him to do at the moment. For now everyone else was preparing for their escape from Dead Dunes before the Valhalla army arrives, sent by their King Caius.

He returned to the residence and leaned against the door. Feeling eyes on him, he looked to the side and noticed Lightning standing there. She stared at him silently, the question in her eyes were clear; she was wondering why he was here while everyone else was out.  
Instead of letting him speak, Lightning went into her room and shut the door. Noctis groaned; he was growing tired of the way the queen interacted with him. It was beginning to make him feel stressed mentally and physically as well.

Before he could stop and think he barged into the queen's room. She had been in the middle of putting on the samurai-like clothing she had worn before.

Lightning glanced at him over her shoulder as she strapped everything in place. "What is it?" She asked her tone as nonchalant as always. Noctis had the urge to question her about what she had spoken about with Serah but he held himself back.  
At the moment his eyes seemed to focus on only Lightning as she finished putting on her clothing. She continued to stare back at him, not doing anything to back away either.

It was like a force stronger than either one of them had taken over as Noctis felt himself being pulled towards her; his feet seemed to act on their own until he was directly in front of the young queen. Lightning merely observed him and his odd actions.

Slowly Noctis raised a hand and his fingers touched Lightning's cheek, feeling her soft skin and caressing the right side of her face where she had once been scarred by the silver lobo. His dark blue irises were drawn to her lighter ones, making it hard for both of them to step away, though at the moment their minds were not in control of them anymore.  
The prince felt himself lean in towards the young queen's face. His lips grazed her chin and ran up to her cheeks then to the bridge of her nose. The whole time Lightning remained still, unsure of what she was supposed to do in such a situation; it was preposterous. She knew all she had to do was strike the prince but her body would not move.

Noctis' breathing became heavy as his lips ran up and down Lightning's temple before he slowly descended onto her lips.

Once again that flame that engulfed him whenever he made contact with her began to burn him inside and out, and he was not sure if Lightning was feeling the same inferno that he was but he doubted it. However she did feel a strange spark prickle her skin at the contact.

The moment his lips pressed against hers, he lost all sense of control. He pressed against her even more, as he tasted more of her. His tongue begged, demanded to be given more to taste and to feel. Lightning was still like a sculpture. Noctis growled and grabbed her chin between his index finger and thumb. Instinctively her lips parted slightly and his tongue slid in.  
Noctis gasped at the sensation, at the sweet taste that greeted him. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. He pressed on; surprised that Lightning was able to remain grounded on her feet with his weight against her.

Noctis needed to breathe, but he found it hard to escape the temptation Lightning's lips provided. However, he mustered enough strength to pull away but his face remained close to hers. Dangerously and tantalizingly close.

Lightning panted, casting her eyes down onto the floor. Her gloved hand clenched while her other hand remained limp at her side. She dared to look at Noctis' eyes just as he did to her. "What do you want from me?" She questioned; her confusion and frustration evident in her tone. Noctis lowered his gaze, almost shamefully as he answered her. "I…don't know."

He kissed her again, this time making sure she stumbled back until her legs hit her bed. Lightning growled against his lips but he groaned in response lightly pushed against her shoulders, causing them both to fall onto the soft mattress, their bodies and lips still in contact with each other. Noctis' hands began to wander up to the golden medallion on her tunic's thick strap then to the belt tied around her waist.

* * *

Evening came all too soon for everyone as they reached the rendezvous spot. The merchant's carriages, wagons, and chocobos were ready to leave just as Fang guided Odin into one of the larger wagons for the travel. The bitter merchant glared at the party as they readied themselves.

Lightning approached the man and handed him the silver pin. The merchant snatched it from her fingers and stared at it. "So you will be the one who destroys the dark kingdoms… Foolish I say. Not even the queen of Bodhum was able to survive and now she is dead, floating to the bottom of the ocean I gather."

Fang glared at him but said nothing after her eyes met with Vanille's imploring ones. Serah pressed herself against Lightning's arm. Lightning pressed the man down with a hard gaze. "What I intend to do is none of your concern; your duty is to take us away from here. Do well and you may receive your reward." The merchant huffed and pocketed the heart-pin. "Very well then since you are rather eager to die so young…" He entered his carriage then looked out at Lightning and her companions. "Get into the wagons now, I haven't all day." Lightning nodded and Fang jumped into the first wagon, assisting Vanille and Serah into it a well.

Giovanni and Amodar watched as Lightning and Noctis walked to the second wagon and climbed in. The two avoided each other's gaze and made sure not to make any physical contact. Amodar pat the king's shoulder. "For now, we pray for their safety, my lord." Giovanni nodded in silent agreement and continued to watch as the merchant ordered his men to begin the journey. The coachman flicked the reins and the great yellow birds let out a _kweh_ and began their trot. Soon the wagons were out of sight, leaving the king of Nifleheim and the former general staring off into the distance.

Noctis watched Lightning carefully and mentally cursed; he had nearly allowed himself to be swept away by the waves of desire.

When he had Lightning pinned beneath him on her bed, he had forgotten that he needed to keep his distance. Only when Lightning reached up to touch his hair did he reawaken and move away from her. Lightning's touch had been innocent, curious…  
It took all the willpower he had left not to look at her and resist the urge to touch her again. The queen had said nothing and only watched him. It had frustrated Noctis to no end, but he had not noticed that Lightning was just as confused.

She had pawed and gripped at her tunic as if she were being suffocated by her own clothing. Her body had felt hot because of the brash prince's touches. Why had she not pulled away? Why did she not attack him? These were the questions Lightning knew she would never be able to answer, but she did not dare breathe a word to Serah. Not yet. She did not even know what was wrong with her. Was her illness striking again? Was it growing worse? The female monarch was desperate for answers but she knew she would never be able to obtain them, and there were more pressing matters to tend to. For now she remained silent and kept focus on the journey ahead. They needed reach Nibelheim and from there, Balamb and then the rest of the Alliance will follow.

Lightning allowed herself to steal a carful glance at Noctis. He was occupied with watching the night sky and the moon above them. Neither spoke a word to each other for that whole evening, feeling it was best to maintain a physical distance for now.

* * *

**There you go the new chapter. I had a tough time writing this because I kept falling asleep due to being overworked with school assignments and the midterms. Hopefully it went well enough. What do you guys think?**

**Now just to clear a few things up: if the chapter seems somewhat confusing during some parts, let me tell you that I intended for that to happen. The reason is because I wanted to try and have you guys feel the slight confusion that is going in Lightning and Noctis' heads. They are growing rather frustrated and cannot seem to understand why.**

**Some of Lightning's past of how she met Odin has been revealed and now Amodar is going to play his part; looking after Giovanni. They will both appear again soon. For those of you who still remember, the husband and wife from the previous chapters are the ones being mentioned here, and yes they too will be making a comeback—perhaps with an even bigger role than before.**

**To explain the scene between the Farron Sisters; Lightning feels confused on whether she still wants to destroy her enemies like she had always wished when she had been a hot-headed eighteen-year-old or if she would just be content with the enemies' simple defeat. The meaning behind Serah's explanation is that Lightning had gotten used to being busy with caring for her kingdom and her people so she put up a stoic front and a "perfect" queen guise. But because of this Lightning fears that she had forgotten how to feel real emotions and that even the feeling of hatred would abandon her just like all the other emotions, including the positive ones.**

**Because of her illness, Lightning was forced to realize that she needed to accept what might happen to her one day. This is why Lightning seems to be sort of wise and in a way, cherishes her life and everything around her because she could never know when her illness may just take her life so she does her best to appreciate her life now, which is a contrast with Noctis who wishes to be rid of his life. But he seems to be slowly forgetting about that.**

**Lightning's odd behavior with Serah at the stables will be explained in the next chapter.** **Hope you guys likes this chapter; I will be working on the next one soon, and yes she is still wearing her Shadow's Dust outfit. Ask questions if anything confuses you and I will do my best to answer without spoiling anything about the story.**

**By the way, hope you all enjoyed the little Lightis improvement; it seems that the intimacy is taking it step-by-step.**

**Until then…**


	28. Chapter XXVIII: So Reminisce

**Disclaimer:**** Been falling asleep quite easily lately so I have been having tough time writing as I usually do because I keep dozing off without noticing. Oh well, I hope I recover from that soon because this is very important information I am about to share. So please take note of it!**

**ATTENTION****: From this chapter up until several chapters, the main story will be having a short break and will focus on the upcoming new additions to Lightning and Noctis' team. This will be known as the "Reminisce Saga".**

**The Reminisce Saga will focus on the other monarchs who are about to join the main cast and reveal their lives from how it all began with them up until the present. So remember that we will not be seeing Lightning, Serah, Noctis and the others for a while since we will be seeing instead the other kings and queens.**

**The saga won't take up too many chapters so always keep a lookout for my author's notes in order to know if the saga is over yet.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXVIII: So Reminisce **

Lightning was the first to awaken early that morning. When she'd peek outside of the wagon she could see that they were still moving. At the very back, Noctis remained asleep while leaning against the wall of the wagon, oblivious to the items around him.  
Unconsciously Lightning lifted her fingers to her lips, recalling how Noctis tasted when he had suddenly kissed her. The young queen snapped out of her reverie and groaned at herself in annoyance.

To distract herself, Lightning returned her sights to the outside of the wagon; they were far from Dead Dunes now but after a several more miles she and the others would have to leave the merchant and his men and travel on their own to Nibelheim.  
Already she was concerned about Amodar and Giovanni; she knew she could trust the former general to protect the king but soldiers of Valhalla were ruthless. It was one of the reasons that Valhalla was given the name _the kingdom of chaos_. It suited Caius and his army as they spread disorder wherever they go; Valhalla's closest ally was Tenebrae the _kingdom of darkness_, and Midgar the _kingdom of alchemy._

Noctis' eyes opened when he felt the warmth of the sun hitting his face through the opening of the wagon.

The first thing his eyes met was Lightning's back. He sighed and looked away, determined not to allow temptation to get a hold of him once again. He had nearly committed a mistake last night in Dead Dunes and he had no intention of letting it happen again.  
When he risked a glance at her, he noticed her body language seemed to speak volumes. Her shoulders had sagged and her torso was tense. The muscles of her arms were tense as well and her hands seemed to be gripping the edge of the wagon tightly, making it seem like she might just crush the wood with her bare hands; after what he had witnessed with her power so far he had no doubt that it may be possible.

Lightning sensed eyes on her and turned. Noctis was awake but he remained seated where he was.

When she did not speak a word to him, Noctis raised an eyebrow. He had expected her to make a sharp comment or remind him of something he already knew. But this time she was utterly silent, more so than at Dead Dunes.  
He looked at the rising and falling of her chest and noticed that it was moving regularly. So it she was not under another attack from her weak heart's condition. Then what made her seem so edgy like a startled chocobo? They both felt the wagon stop and Lightning poked her head outside to take a look.

Serah, Vanille, and Fang jumped out of their wagon and stretched. Lightning did the same and was immediately greeted by her sister and the redheaded handmaiden.

Noctis sat on the edge of the wagon and watched as the merchant got out of his carriage with his men following him. The man moved off some distance and began speaking to his men. Right away they all began preparing to settle down for a while before traveling again.  
Fang leaned against a nearby tree, watching the ongoing activities while Vanille and Serah began fussing over Lightning.

"Enough Serah, my heart is fine." Lightning protested when her sister attempted to count her heartbeats. Vanille shook her head and placed her palms against the sides of Lightning's neck to check if the queen had grown feverish. Lightning sighed and dismissed their concerns.

Noctis observed them silently. Was this what Lightning had to go through after going through an attack? Vanille and Serah continued fussing until the queen looked just about irritated and tired. He still felt rather reluctant to believe that someone like Queen Farron was stricken with an unknown sickness. Just how far did she push herself to work? Noctis was tempted to ask Serah but that might make her think he actually cared more than he allowed himself to.

"For what reason do you still travel with us?" Fang questioned, moving closer to Noctis.

The prince glared at her. "No reason. I merely wanted to see how this will all turn out, and perhaps if given the chance I will be able to destroy Tenebrae." He clenched his fists until his palms started hurting and nail marks were left on his skin.  
Fang did not seem the least bit impressed with his answer, "Did you want to destroy Tenebrae because they are Nifleheim's worst adversary, or was it because of that wench who fooled you?" The general did not bother hiding her irritation of the man's weakness.

Noctis' glare hardened and his blue orbs faded into a blood-red. "How _dare_ you…!"

Fang swiftly pulled her lance from her back and smacked the spot between the prince's neck and shoulder, making him roar in pain and fall to his knees. "This is your problem, Prince. Your _weakness_. I am sure you already know that none of the love you shared was real—perhaps it was on your part, so why do you still insist on believing that Tenebrae's heir felt the same? Did you not see the damage she had dealt to your kingdom and to you?"  
Noctis refused to submit; he hated being wrong, he hated being proven that he had the wrong assumptions all this time. He stood up and summoned his falchion, intent on silencing the huntress. Fang huffed and readied her lance, taking her stance.

As the two swung their weapons towards each other, they were forced themselves to stop mid-way. Their eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.

Lightning stood between them, in the way of Noctis' sword and Fang's lance. She glared at them both; her cold expression forced them to back down.  
Fang sighed and placed her lance onto her back once again. Noctis kept his grip on his sword as he returned Lightning's glare with his own. The queen pushed his sword down until the blade pointed at the dirt beneath their feet. "There is no reason for us to fight amongst ourselves. If you insist on it then I will have to ask you to abandon this mission and fight to your heart's content," Lightning said sternly, her voice just as cold as her eyes.

Fang bowed in respect. "I apologize, Majesty." Lightning nodded and Fang stood up and moved to Vanille's side.

Noctis snorted and dismissed his falchion. "Are you intending to get rid of me now?" The queen faced him fully, her expression not changing a single bit. "I told you before Noctis, whatever you do from here on is your decision alone. Nobody is ordering or suggesting for you to do anything you are set against."

He chuckled darkly. "You say that it is my decision, but I actually have no choice do I?" His tone made Lightning twitch in irritation. "I am not trying to persuade you into anything! Believe it or not I do not even want you here but because you decided to come along I made no objections!"  
Noctis growled, resisting the urge to unleash the wolf but he knew it would be risky to be seen using that form when the merchant and his men could return soon.

"If you plan to stay behind once we leave for the next few miles then so be it; it is your choice to do so," Lightning said, "I do not intend to lecture you or stop you this time. I had it up to here with you, Noctis and I do not intend to have you fill it up even more until I explode before my heart's condition gets me first!"

Serah watched the argument worriedly; she did not like the way her sister said those words but she understood that Lightning was not tired of Noctis' behavior and strong denial. She wished to insert her own opinion but it just might make the argument go on longer than it needed to.  
Instead she moved to her sister's side and placed a hand on Lightning's arm. The queen glanced down at her and sighed in defeat. "Just keep in mind that what you do from now on until this is all over is your own doing and your own choice; it was not influenced by me or anyone else. And whether you choose to believe it or not, you have no right to accuse me of anything." Lightning said, her tone had a slight threat in it.

Noctis spat on the ground while Lightning returned to the wagon Serah stayed in with Vanille.

Serah placed a hand above Lightning's heart carefully and the young queen groaned, "Serah I am fine. I was not entirely angry." She reassured, adjusting her tunic and the ragged cloth of a cape at her back. The younger sister shook her head. "I am growing worried… What if it strikes again?" Serah held her sister's gloved hand tightly in her more delicate and smaller one.

Fang crossed her arms as the scene went on before her. Lightning was extremely good at holding back her pain but even she would not be able to stand it for long; it worries both Fang and Vanille to no end especially since they had known Lightning since girlhood. Serah would be most especially devastated if anything were to happen to Lightning before the queen became an aunt—and that part of life was still faraway.

Lightning merely brushed off Serah's concern and wandered off on her own with the others watching her retreating back. Noctis reentered the wagon he had stayed in then noticed Vanille rushing after Lightning. He shook his head and decided to rest some more.

_-XIII-_

"Stop following me." Lightning said when she heard Vanille's footsteps fall behind her. The handmaiden stumbled as she tried to keep up with the queen in the forest terrain; she found it easy to trek through of course, but Lightning was walking too fast for her to keep up properly without losing her footing.

"But I am your handmaiden…Lightning!" Vanille panted as she finally managed to catch up to the queen.

Lightning stopped for a second to let the handmaiden catch her breath before continuing on. Vanille groaned and continued to follow. "You know this has absolutely nothing to do with you being my handmaiden." The queen reminded, moving from one rough surface to the next. Vanille went after her still. "I know! I know… I just want to come with you."

"Why? So you can make sure that I do not suddenly drop dead on where I am standing?" Lightning snapped then pinched the bridge of her nose out of frustration.

The redhead tried to soothe the queen. "No, no… Well, perhaps that is part of the reason. But I most just wish to come with you. Perhaps we can talk…?"  
Lightning rolled her head to the side and grunted in annoyance. She was rather fond of Vanille but the girl should know her limits. Still that did not stop the redhead from following the queen despite the face pace and rough terrain.  
"Please Lightning, may we just talk? I understand you do not wish to raise any issue about…your _condition_, but please slow down a bit!" Vanille pleaded; partially worried that Lightning's frustration might trigger her heart's illness again.

Finally the queen complied and stopped walking, allowing Vanille to reach her side. The young woman panted and then stretched in relief.

"Being a handmaiden made me miss being able to walk up such rough terrains such as these." Vanille said her smile nostalgic. Lightning watched the younger woman prance about; it was one of the many things that made Vanille special. She smiled all the time, she always had time for speaking with a friend should they face a dilemma… At times Vanille reminded Lightning of Serah even though the queen knew they were very much different.  
Perhaps it was the way they always smiled or they way their eyes shone, or perhaps it was because of how they both looked so small and delicate at times. Lightning nearly smiled until she noticed Vanille was staring directly at her.

"… What is it Vanille?"

"You should smile more. You look wonderful when you smile."

Lightning blinked at the handmaiden's words and stared at her oddly. Vanille giggled and slapped Lightning's arm playfully. "Oh never mind! Honestly, you take everything too seriously." She giggled even more, puzzling the queen.  
Giving up on trying to understand the younger woman, Lightning continued her walk and this time she let Vanille follow, even stopping until the redhead had caught up with her and made sure she kept in pace. It was rare moments like these that Vanille was able to see Lightning's gentle side.

Though the queen was more willing to show it to Serah, Vanille and even Fang had times when they would see with their own eyes the kindness Lightning was capable of showing. As they continued their walk, Vanille once again thanked the gods that she had been brought into the service of Lightning Farron and her kingdom.

* * *

Cloud Strife, king of Nibelheim stared down at his kingdom from the balcony of his chambers. His blue eyes gazed upon every house and every individual he could spot. He felt a gentle touch against his back and he smiled.

Cloud turned to face his queen and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Tifa smiled and pressed her hands against her king's sturdy chest. "Is something wrong?" She asked in a low voice, not wanting to break the spell between them. Cloud shook his head and stroked Tifa's shoulders before kissing her there as well. "I was merely…watching." He said, twirling a strand of her dark hair around his finger.

"Watching…what…?" Tifa encouraged as her arms wrapped themselves around Cloud's neck and her fingers buried themselves in his spiked hair.

The king smiled gazed down at Tifa's wine-colored eyes before he lifted her chin with his finger and captured her lips with his. In that instant Tifa had forgotten what they had been conversing about. She responded to her husband's lips. Cloud's tongue probed and danced until his wife mimicked his movements and their tongues mated in a heated dance of passion.  
Tifa gripped Cloud's tunic in her fists while he ran his fingers through her long dark hair. They felt like silk between his fingers; smooth and soft, wonderful to touch.

"Cloud…" Tifa moaned against his lips before pulling away. "You were going to tell me something…?" The blonde man groaned and buried his face against Tifa's neck. "I was watching the kingdom. There is so much hustle and bustle… That is a good thing, of course."

Tifa chuckled. "Yes, it is good. That means the people are working well and their lives and prosperous." She sensed Cloud had something else that was on his mind. "Is there something else you wish to add, my king?" In response, Cloud pushed her onto their large bed and pinned her down before resting his head against her breasts. "Queen Lightning…" He sighed and his queen understood.

"You are worried about her. I am too… It has been a while since we saw her or spoke to her as friends." She mused. Cloud glanced up at his wife. He knew Tifa had always had a soft spot for the young queen; after all Tifa had been the one who trained Lightning in using martial arts. "You seem tired," Tifa whispered into Cloud's hair.

"Sorry…" He murmured, on the verge of sleep already. His wife merely shifted until they were both comfortably settled. Feeling Tifa stroking his hair and massaging his head, Cloud closed his eyes, his exhaustion finally winning the battle, and allowed himself to dream of the times before.

_-XIII-_

_He knew he was supposed to be inside the palace studying like his mother and father told him to. But he could not help it; he liked being outside where there was fresh air and Mother's garden smelled wonderful. He wanted to be outside where he could run and play and see his mother, the queen's, flowers. Cloud continued to run about, ignoring the servants' worried expressions when he went outside._

_Once he was among his mother's flowers, he slowed to a walk to admire each and every one of them. The queen had told him that each flower had a different meaning and that different flowers together could become a secret message.  
Cloud was curious about what kind of messages he could create with flowers. He would ask his mother later. For now he was content with smelling the sweet fragrances and gazing at the many colors that surrounded him._

_Soon he wandered to the palace gates, still having no desire to return to his studies. The young prince was so preoccupied that he did not noticed where he stepped until he lost his footing and fell forward. His face hit the dirt and he groaned. Cloud frowned as he sat up slowly and stared down at his blue tunic; it was ruined._

"_Are you okay?" A small voice asked, startling him. Cloud looked around for the owner of the voice then noticed that someone was watching him from the other side of the palace's gates._

_A young girl with long dark hair watched him worriedly; her wine-colored eyes were big and bright. "I saw you fall down. Did you hurt yourself?" She questioned the prince, her small delicate hands gripping at the bars of the large gates.  
Cloud blushed with embarrassment when he realized the girl had seen his moment of clumsiness. He picked himself up and dusted his tunic. "I'm fine. It did not hurt me at all." He insisted and held his head high like his father had taught him._

_The girl giggled at the display; the boy had piqued her curiosity, and he seemed rather sweet. "My name is Tifa. What is your name?" The sudden inquiry surprised the little prince. He was not used to having strangers, especially ones his age speak to him so…normally. Cloud flushed again and smiled shyly. "I am…I am Cloud," he answered bashfully, toeing the dirt._

_Tifa grinned. "You have a nice name." She stepped back slightly to look up at the palace; to a little girl it was enormous and she needed to bend her whole body back just to see the top well enough. "Do you live inside that big castle, Cloud?"  
The prince nodded. "Yes. My mother said I have to be in the library with my tutor now…" He did not want to go back inside just to listen to old men speak in slow drowsy voices; it made his lessons all the more uninteresting._

"_You should go back inside then or your mother will be angry." Tifa cautioned, looking around for any sign of an angry woman coming for Cloud. To her surprise, the boy only shook his head. "I do not want to study with my tutors. They speak too slowly and it makes me very tired; I like it here because I can see Mother's flowers."  
Tifa grinned. "I love flowers too! I wish I had my own garden, then I would plant lots of flowers and give some to my mother and father as well!" Her enthusiasm was rather refreshing for Cloud. He had never met other children his age or children who did not come from a royal background._

_This made him wonder as well. "Why are you here Tifa? Are you lost?" Cloud moved closer to the gates until he and Tifa were face-to-face._

_The girl shook her head in response. "Papa is working and Mama is resting today. I wanted to go outside but nobody would play with me." She frowned as she spoke. She glanced over her shoulder and then looked back at Cloud. "I saw the big castle and wanted to know what it looked like. Mama said it was huge with lovely flowers and big rooms."_

_Cloud's face became red. "She is correct about everything." He admitted._

_Tifa gripped the bars of the gates again. "If you live in the castle, does that mean you are the prince?" She stared at Cloud with such wonder but the boy only glared at the ground. She might not want to talk to him anymore if he told her he was the prince; she might become frightened of him. But his mother always taught him to tell the truth so reluctantly, he nodded._

"_I knew it! I knew you were the prince! Your tunic told me." Tifa chirped, her wine-colored eyes sparkling. _

_Cloud glanced down at his now soiled tunic then back at the girl, questioningly. Seeing his confusion, Tifa explained, "It has a nice drawing on it and it looks softer than my tunic. I can tell it means you are important."  
Cloud sat down and leaned his back against the gates. Tifa kneeled down so that she was on the same level as the little prince. "I do not want to be important," Cloud confessed, staring at his hands. "People are scared of me and they don't want to come near me!" He hugged his knees to his chest; his expression was rather depressing for a child his age._

_Tifa reached in between the bars and touched Cloud's shoulder. "I don't think you are scary. I think you are very nice; you did talk to me even though I am not allowed to come here."_

_Cloud looked at the small hand on his shoulder and felt his face burn completely. "Thank you. I think you are nice as well, Tifa. And you're allowed to come here; even though you cannot come inside, I don't mind if we can still talk like this."  
"Really? So…can I come see you again?" Tifa asked eagerly, hoping that would have the chance to meet with the boy again. "Cloud, does this mean…we are friends?"_

_The little prince's eyes widened as he thought about it; he had never had a friend before. He never even spoke to anyone like he had just spoken to Tifa. He nodded at her with a big smile. "Yes. We are friends." He said standing up just as Tifa did. He held her smaller hand in his through the bars and the two children grinned at each other.  
Tifa glanced down and noticed Cloud's knee. Through the material of his breeches, Tifa could see red stain it. She gasped, "Your leg is hurt!" In response, the prince looked down at his knee and frowned; he did not notice that his knee had been scratched._

_Tifa took out a clean white handkerchief from her tunic's pocket and knelt down to pull the breeches' leg up and dab her handkerchief against the gash on the prince's knee.  
Cloud watched her flushed shyly; nobody had ever done this to him before. It was nice. Tifa was nice and she liked him as well. Tifa finished her treatment by wrapping the handkerchief around Cloud's knee. She smiled up at him, feeling victorious for helping someone._

"_Cloud Strife!" The queen's voice reached their ears and they froze. Cloud quickly moved away from Tifa and tried to tidy his tunic some more. The queen arrived in front of the prince and her eyes grew wide. "What happened to your tunic, child?" She knelt down to check for any signs of injury on her son then saw his knee._

_Panicking, Cloud spoke quickly, "I am sorry Mother! I did not mean to run away from my tutors again! I just wanted to see your flowers and then Tifa helped me—" The queen pressed a finger onto her son's lips amused at his expressions. "Calm yourself my son. I am not angry. Now, you were saying that somebody helped you?"  
Cloud looked at Tifa and his mother followed his stare. On the other side of the gates was a girl about a year younger than her son. She was a sweet-looking thing with shining eyes that reminded the blonde woman of fine red wine. _

_Tifa saw the queen was looking at her and hastily did the best curtsy that she could manage. The queen chuckled, "There is no need for that, dear."_

_The girl looked up at Nibelheim's queen. She was just as lovely as everybody said she was, and Cloud looked just like her. Tifa then remembered what her father had told her about being respectful. "I'm sorry Majesty; I know I am not allowed to be here. I only wanted to look at the castle up close, truly!" She hoped the queen would not be angry at Cloud for talking with her instead of staying with his tutors._

"_Now, now… Don't you fret little one, I am not offended. In fact, I am flattered that you wanted to take a look at our home. And thank you for helping my son; you are the first child to be so kind to him." The queen said, kneeling to look at Tifa properly.  
Tifa's eyes widened. "Your dress will get dirty, Majesty!" This earned her a warm laugh from the queen. "My, you are quite polite. Not to worry, I have many gowns so a bit of dirt will not harm me. Now my son was speaking a little too quickly for me so would you be as kind as to tell me your name?"_

_Nervously, the girl fidgeted. "Tifa, Your Highness. Tifa Lockhart." She played with the edge of her tunic, blushing like Cloud had when he first noticed that she had seen him fall on his face._

"_Tifa… What a lovely name." The queen complimented. "But what are you doing all the way out here on your own? Are your mother and father about?" She wondered. Tifa turned to look at the town and pointed. "Papa is working and Mama is resting from working too hard. I came by myself because nobody would come with me." The girl answered. Tifa looked up at the queen again. "Please do not be angry at Cl— Prince Cloud Your Highness! It was my fault; we were talking and…" She trailed off, unsure how to explain._

"_Oh dear, not to worry. This is not the first time my son has run off on his own during his lessons. In fact I had decided that I will be the one to teach him from now on." The queen said and Cloud looked at his mother with sparkling eyes. "Truly, Mother? Will you?" He asked, grabbing her hand.  
The blonde woman laughed warmly. "Yes, of course my love. I understand why you did not want to listen to your tutors; their voices make me sleepy as well."_

_Tifa and Cloud laughed along with the queen at the jest. Boldly, Cloud tugged at his mother's skirts. "Mother, is it fine for Tifa to visit me again? We are friends now."_

_Nibelheim's queen smiled. "Really now? Well I see no harm in it; I am happy you have found a friend, Cloud." She turned to the girl who stood outside of the gates. "Of course you two may see each other again. As long as you both remember to behave, I see no trouble with the both of you playing together."_

_Before Tifa could thank the generous woman, she heard her name being called. The girl tensed and turned to see the dark-haired man approaching her. "Papa!" Tifa called out._

_Cloud watched as the man picked his daughter up. The prince hid behind his mother's skirts nervously; Tifa's father frightened him for some reason. The queen giggled and took her son's hand in hers, moving him forward, away from his hiding place.  
Lockhart saw the royal family and bowed his head. "My queen! I sincerely apologize if my daughter has caused any mischief."_

"_Oh not at all. Your daughter is absolutely charming; I just granted her and my son permission to see each other as much as they wish. Your child was noble enough to come to my son's rescue while he was in dire need." The female ruler showed Lockhart Cloud's knee and the prince blushed._

_Lockhart looked at the prince's knee before he made eye contact with the prince himself. The boy looked bashful and seemed to be resisting the urge to hide from Lockhart's unreadable stare. The man then looked at his daughter who rested in his arms.  
Tifa pouted. "Please Papa, can I? I promise I will not run away from my chores; I will finish them all so I can visit Cloud!" She pleaded._

_Lockhart loved his daughter dearly but this event was certainly a surprise. Tifa continued to plead, "Please Papa, can I?" Her father chuckled. "You say it as 'May I'," he corrected gently. _

"_May I? Please?" Tifa said, holding onto her father's tunic. She glanced at Cloud who looked worried. His blue eyes were shimmering with worry that he may never be allowed to see Tifa again because Lockhart said no. But Tifa was stubborn; she wanted to see Cloud again as well.  
Finally Lockhart relented, "Very well. You may; it would be rude to reject such an honor from the queen herself." He placed Tifa down and the girl immediately ran back to the gate where she and Cloud held each other's hands through the bars._

"_But Highness… What of the king?" Lockhart asked. The queen shook her head. "My husband will be thrilled to learn that our son has found a companion. I assure you that he will not mind at all."_

_Cloud and Tifa beamed at each other. "We can still be friends! Isn't that wonderful Cloud?" Tifa said, tightening her hold on the prince's hand. Cloud's grin widened. "Can…can I see you tomorrow?" He asked, his shyness returning to him.  
The two adults watching looked rather amused; children were so pure and innocent. Watching them was as calming as a warm bath at the end of a hard day's work.  
Lockhart touched his girl's shoulder. "Tifa, we must go now love." Tifa seemed disappointed but nodded anyway. She smiled at the little prince one more time before she took a hold of her father's hand, letting him lead her back home._

_Cloud watched until the man and his daughter were no longer in sight. The queen smiled and took her son's hand in her own. "Come now Cloud. Your father would want to hear about your new friend; you will see Tifa tomorrow, I am sure." The young prince of Nibelheim nodded and returned inside the palace with his mother. _

_He was certain that he would see Tifa Lockhart again. They are friends now after all. With that thought in mind, Cloud was excited for tomorrow to come._

* * *

**I will end it here for now.**

**This chapter is short, I know. But that is because it is the start of the Reminisce Saga. Cloud and Tifa's Reminisce is not over yet, but rather, this is the introduction to it. Next chapter will show the whole story of the Nibelheim monarchs.**

**Again as I said before: We will not be seeing Lightning, Serah, Noctis and the others for a while and instead we will be seeing the history of the other kings and queens who will join the main cast. The saga won't take up too many chapters so always keep a lookout for my author's notes in order to know if the saga is over yet in order to avoid any confusion.**

**I remember that one of you have asked me this question long before and I kept holding the answer back. One of you asked if Cloud and Tifa have a child since they are in their thirties in this story. **

**Well the answer is: No, they do not have children as of yet. I had considered writing them as having children already but I realized it would delay the story even more or even bring it off track. So for now, they are still childless.**

**As always feel free to ask me questions if anything confuses you or if you wish to confirm something as long as it does not require having to spoil the story.**

**Once more I would like to thank every one of you for reading and sticking with the story ever since its days as a simple drabble from Chronicles.  
Thank you to those who advised me with how I should write; thanks a lot I appreciate it. I will do my best with some more practice and hopefully I will become even better.**

**Stay cool you guys and I will see you again in the next chapter; the start of the Reminisce Saga of Sanctuaire!**

**Until then…**


	29. Chapter XXIX: Lost Kindred Spirits

**Disclaimer:**** This is the first part of the Reminisce Saga. Starting off, we have Cloud and Tifa. How do you think their lives went before they were made rulers of Nibelheim? And how do they have ties with Lightning in the near future?**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXIX: Lost Kindred Spirits**

"Cloud I brought you an apple!" Tifa said as the prince came towards the gates. Cloud smiled as the girl handed him the green apple through the bars of the palace gates. He always loved sharing apples with Tifa; they were always so sweet and fresh, especially since Tifa had picked them from the tree from behind her house herself.

The children sat down and faced each other as they took a bite of their own apple. "Did you study well Cloud?" Tifa asked, staring at the young prince as he eagerly bit into the apple she gave him. Secretly, Tifa loved it whenever the prince would enjoy an apple she picked from the tree that stood behind her home, or sweet bread that her mother made.  
Prince Cloud always intrigued her, and it only made the young girl yearn to learn more about him. Already a year had passed since they first met and Tifa always remained outside of the palace gates, but it suited them both just fine as long as they were able to see each other nearly every day.

Cloud glanced up from his apple and fidgeted. "Mother taught me about…the other kingdoms. She said that all the kingdoms have different kinds of names and that every one of them is different." He looked up at the sky, trying to imagine what the other kingdoms must be like. Tifa grinned. "Did she tell you that Bodhum is the only kingdom that have fireworks and have a fireworks festival?"

The young prince seemed surprised. "Yes, she did. How did you know that Tifa?"

"Mama and Papa brought me to Bodhum once so that we could all see the Fireworks Festival. Everybody was so nice, and Bodhum is close to the ocean. Papa said that is what made Bodhum so special in its own way." Tifa said, recalling her very first visit to the Kingdom by the Sea.

Curious, Cloud leaned forward. "What was Bodhum like, Tifa? Were the fireworks really bright and colorful like Mother said?" His eyes shone with curiosity.  
Tifa nodded and her eyes became bright with dreamy thoughts about Bodhum's fireworks. "We all had a big feast and everybody started dancing… And then after that, the fireworks started flying into the sky! I saw the king and queen watching from the palace as well!"

The blonde prince's eyes widened. "You saw the king and queen of Bodhum? What were they like?"

"They looked like nice people; they were smiling the whole time and they looked happy like everyone else was," Tifa said, "I heard they don't have a child yet…" She frowned and bit into her apple. Cloud nodded; his mother had mentioned that the rulers of Bodhum have not yet conceived a child. However she reassured him that it was because they had been too busy.  
Tifa looked up at Cloud again. "I think it is sad. I think they want to have a child. Do you think they will have one someday Cloud?"

His friend's innocent question made Cloud smile. He nodded in response. "I think they will." Tifa seemed reassured at this and the two of them continued to finish off their apples.

The queen strolled outside, until she caught sight of her son with Tifa. The girl had been a wonderful improvement in Cloud's life; her son had begun smiling more often and even paid attention to his studies. No doubt to impress Tifa and tell her stories of what he had learned. Something still seemed rather off though.  
Realizing what it was, the queen approached the children with her usual smile on her face. The two of them greeted her politely and she merely pat her son's head and grinned at Tifa. "Are you enjoying the stories my son tells you?" The queen asked, making her young prince blush.

Tifa nodded excitedly. "Cloud was telling me about Bodhum, Your Highness!" "Was he now?" The queen chuckled and pats her son's head once again before looking at Tifa once more. "Aren't you tired of always standing outside child? Why not come inside?"

The offer caught Tifa off guard. Her? Enter the palace gates? She stared at the queen and then noticed that Cloud was grinning. "Will it be fine? I might be intruding." Tifa said, looking at her hands shyly. Cloud reached out and touched her hand. "We're friends Tifa. You should be allowed to come inside. May she, Mother?" Cloud turned to look up at the queen, his blue eyes hopeful.  
She laughed at how innocent the children looked. "Yes, my son. She may enter." The queen looked up at the guards who stood at the watch towers on either side of the gates. The men had been watching over the prince and his companion and they seemed amused. Upon the queen's order, they opened the palace gates.

Tifa took a step forward and looked around. It was like a tale from the books her mother would read to her at night.

Nervously, the dark-haired girl took another step until the gates were behind her. She jumped when the guards shut the gates, leaving her standing on palace grounds with Cloud and the queen. Tifa blushed and stared at her feet.  
She felt the queen touch her shoulder, prompting her to look up at the lovely female monarch. The queen of Nibelheim nodded. "Welcome to our palace, Tifa Lockhart. I hope you continue to enjoy your visits here. Now, you children enjoy. I must be off now." With that the queen turned and left the children to themselves.

Cloud smiled at his friend. "Do you…want to see Mother's garden?" At the mention of the royal gardens, Tifa nodded eagerly in response; she had always wanted to see what the gardens looked like.

The young prince took Tifa's hand in his and led her to the gardens. He hoped she would like it; his mother had told him that girls liked flowers very much. Perhaps Tifa would enjoy them as well.

Tifa looked around, intrigued and at awe at the sights. Everything was lovely, an enormous in her eyes. Once Cloud brought her to the gardens, an excited gasped escaped her.  
Tifa rushed towards the flowers and looked at them, admiring their wonderful colors, their smells and lovely appearances. The royal gardens were indeed a marvel; she felt so fortunate to have been allowed inside to look.

Cloud blushed. "Do you like it?" He had seen how her wine-colored eyes lit up and how her hair flew as she dashed for the gardens. When Tifa nodded in response to his shy inquiry, Cloud felt a grin appear on his face.

The two of them spent the rest of the day frolicking among the flowers, talking about the many other things Cloud had learned from his studies; Tifa was a wonderful listener. She paid close attention to everything he said, not letting a word pass by her.  
She watched at how enthusiastic Cloud looked and sounded whenever he spoke of something that he was very much interested in. He was sweet, and his smile was just like his mother's. But by the end of the day, Tifa's mother and father arrived at the gates to bring her home.

The queen had greeted Tifa's parents as the gates opened, allowing the girl to return to her own mother's side. Cloud looked slightly disappointed that they had to part ways already but he held the feeling back. Tifa smiled at him and bid him and the queen farewell before she walked home with her hand in her father's larger ones.

When it was time for Cloud to return inside the palace his father, the king, was waiting for him and the queen. Picking his son up, the king of Nibelheim ruffled Cloud's hair. "And what has my son been doing this whole time?" He raised an eyebrow at Cloud and the young prince squirmed.

"I was with Tifa, Father…" Cloud answered. The king blinked; he had heard the name before but never had the chance to familiarize himself with it.  
His queen giggled. "She is the girl I told you about. Do you not remember? She has been visiting our son for the past year." At his wife's words, the king finally recalled. He chuckled at his own ignorance.

"Ah…Tifa. Yes, I remember. How strange; I have been hearing so much about this little maiden for a year now and I have not yet met her." The king mused, looking at his son.  
Cloud smiled at his father. "Do you want to meet Tifa? I like her very much, and Mother said that Tifa may be allowed inside." The prince explained, hoping that his father would want to meet Tifa at last. He knew his friend might be fearful of the king at first but Cloud knew how gentle his father was.

_-XIII-_

When Tifa had visited the next day, the guards had immediately opened the gates for her. This still stunned Tifa whenever she was allowed to enter palace grounds.

As always, the prince was more than happy to see his friend come along to visit. Tifa brought along a basket, and inside was her mother's sweet bread. She and the prince shared the treat as they sat amongst the flowers in the garden, content with watching as the world seemed to pass by them. Cloud then mentioned his father to the girl and hopes she would meet him.  
Tifa was nervous at the suggestion. She had never met the king before, and she would be lying if she had said she did not feel nervous or intimidated by the mere mention of the king.

When she did meet him face-to-face, just like with the queen, Tifa did the best curtsy she could manage.

The king only smiled and kneeled down to look at her properly. "So you are Tifa? My queen has spoken much of you, and my son has endless amounts of stories to tell me about his time with you." Tifa blushed at his words and clenched her fists out of shyness.  
"Thank you for allowing me to be friends with Cloud, Your Majesty." She said politely, bowing her head. Her face remained red, making the king chuckle. "Be calm, young one. You are a friend of my son. I wish to know you more, Tifa Lockhart but I must be going; I have business I must attend to."

Cloud seemed disappointed. "Can't you stay longer, Father?" The king shook his head and stroked his son's hair apologetically.

The prince lowered his eyes to the ground. In a comforting gesture, Tifa took Cloud's hand in hers as they both watched the king and queen return into the palace.  
It was then Cloud expressed how he wished his mother and father would be allowed to remain with him for longer than they usually do. Tifa only listened to him, understanding what he felt; if her mother and father had not spent time with her she would have wished she had a friend as well.

_-XIII-_

"Tifa? What is it you wish to do in life, once you reach womanhood?" Cloud asked, looking down at the girl who rested her head on his lap.

The years had passed and now that Cloud was ten years of age and Tifa, nine. Their friendship was as solid as ever. But it was also for this reason that Cloud wished to know what his good friend had planned for her future. Tifa eventually looked up at the prince, her face serious. "Do you really wish to know?" She said, staring into Cloud's eyes with her own.  
The prince nodded, hoping that he did not offend her by asking such a question; Tifa had never spoken of what she planned in the future, but Cloud was curious.

Tifa sat up and looked at the sky with a smile. "I want to become a soldier. I want to join the royal army."

Cloud's eyes widened at her words. He stared into her red-wine-eyes and saw no jest in them; Tifa was serious. "A soldier? Why? Don't they…forbid women to become a soldier?" Despite his ramblings, Tifa merely smiled at him. "That is why I wish to become a soldier; I want to prove that even someone like me, a girl, can do something worthwhile and that I can protect the kingdom." She said; her determined eyes sparkled with a fire that only Tifa possessed.

Cloud frowned worriedly. "Protecting the kingdom is my duty. You do not have to do it…"

When Tifa looked at him, Cloud hurriedly explained but she shushed him and giggled. "Do not worry Cloud; I understand what you are saying, I am not offended at all. In fact you must know that…the king doesn't protect his kingdom alone. He needs his soldiers and knights as well. I may not be like you, born in a palace, but I understand that much."  
"I still do not want you to do anything dangerous," Cloud protested. Again Tifa just smiled and caught the prince off guard by pressing her forehead to his. "Then…why don't we train together?"

Cloud felt rather unsure and reluctant to allow Tifa to pursue such a dangerous path. But at the same time, he knew that he probably should not interfere with her choice. "Why do you want to become a soldier, Tifa? Aside from…proving something, that is." Cloud asked.

Tifa thought for a moment before answering. "… Well, I suppose I just prefer doing something different from other girls. I know that girls are supposed to…learn to sew dresses, do gardening and cook…I know how to do all of those things; Mama taught me how. I just…want do something different, be somebody who I _want_ to be, not who I _have_ to be. And I want to become a soldier. I want to fight for and defend Nibelheim, and I want to become…stronger."

Her answer was quite surprising to Cloud; he had half expected Tifa's ambitions to be a result of her being insulted by males her age. Perhaps she wanted to become a soldier to prove to those young boys that even a female could be as strong as them. Apparently that was not Tifa's reason at all.

"Training is very hard. Are you sure you want to become a soldier?" Cloud asked again. He had seen what the trainings were like and now that he was ten years old, he himself had begun taking lessons in swordplay. Tifa giggled and Cloud looked puzzled. The girl laid her head down on Cloud's lap again. "I think I did not tell you yet, Prince. I already know how hard it is to train." She said, surprising the blonde boy.

"I started when I was six. Papa met a man called Zangan; and now Master Zangan has been training me ever since. He said I had a natural talent!" Tifa said proudly, "I have always wanted to be a soldier even before you asked me what I wished to do in the future… At first I was not sure how I could start but now that Master Zangan has been training me, I know how to continue."  
Cloud blinked, trying to take the information in. He had no idea, and Tifa had never once showed or demonstrated any of her trainings that she claimed to have had since the age of six.

Noticing the prince's expression, Tifa became serious. "Master Zangan also taught me discipline; he said to never show off my talents and abilities and only put them to use when I have to." She explained, remembering very well what her mentor had told her since the beginning of her training.

Cloud nodded in understanding. "Can you show me? I want to see how much you know." He was mostly curious, but at the same time he wanted to see if Tifa could match him; after all he too had gone through much training as prince.  
Tifa agreed and she stood up. Cloud led her to the training grounds; it was empty for the day and that suited them both just fine.

Cloud stood on one side of the arena while Tifa remained on the other side. The two of them tensed and stared at each other.

Right away the prince could see that Tifa knew what she was doing when she took a stance. His eyes narrowed when she said, "Do not hold back Cloud! I know what I am doing so do not worry."  
He found it difficult to swallow but nonetheless he agreed and turned to take one of the lighter and shorter swords off the weapon rack.  
To his surprise, his friend did not seem the least been nervous. Was she only putting on a brave face? Or did her Master Zangan truly teach her as much as she had said?

Cloud tried not to hesitate but when he looked at Tifa, it was difficult for him to just charge at her.

Before he could react, Cloud felt his feet being swept from under him and he landed on his back. He groaned and opened his eyes to see Tifa looking down at him. She shook her head. "Master Zangan said not to hesitate because that might be what the enemy wants you to do."  
Cloud nodded and stood back up, dusting his tunic off and holding the sword tightly. He faced Tifa again and she took her stance.

They were both still children; if anyone had seen their performance—a full-fledged warrior it would look as if the children were merely having a convincing play-fight. But in time their skills would surely grow along with them. When neither of them could continue sparring, they collapsed on the ground. Tifa burst out laughing and was soon followed by Cloud.

"I think…you will be a very good king, Cloud." Tifa said, her face was bright red and her eyes shone with a bashful sparkle. The prince smiled and reached for his friend's hand. "Thank you Tifa. I think…you will be a very good soldier. I know!" Cloud suddenly sat up and pulled Tifa up with him hastily. "When you become stronger and make it as a soldier, I will make you my general!" Cloud announced, his lips had a huge smile on them.

Tifa's eyes widened at the prince's words. "But…generals are the strongest and the most trusted soldiers ever! I cannot become a general."

Cloud shook his head and placed a hand on Tifa's head. "I trust you Tifa. And I think you _will_ become stronger because you always work so hard; you always pick apples for us to share and you even learned how to make sweet bread like your mother so that we could have a picnic in the garden." The prince's smile made Tifa's blush spread across her face even more. She had never told him that she had been the one who had the sweet breads. How did he know?

"Your mother's sweet breads are delicious but after a while I noticed they started to taste different and even had a special kind of taste and texture. I knew you were the one who baked those," Cloud explained, answering the future-soldier's silent question. "I like your sweet bread more, Tifa. It tastes unique because you are unique."  
Tifa grinned and tackled Cloud in a tight hug. She was always so grateful that she met this sweet boy; prince or not, Cloud Strife is a wonderful person in her eyes.

"Cloud?"

"Huh?"

"We will always be good friends, won't we?"

"Of course we will! Forever."

_-XIII-_

Three months after the promises he and Tifa exchanged to each other, Cloud had thought he could never be any happier. He had his mother and father, and Tifa as well. He wanted it all to last forever, and thought that it would. But it was not meant to be.

Before his eyes, the palace of the Strife royal family burned with fierce embers dancing about, spreading even more chaos of flames. Cloud had rushed to find his parents; he needed to be with them and protect them.  
The first place that came to mind was the throne room. Without a second thought, the young prince took off. He dodged the flames and debris until he reached the throne room. He hoped that his mother and father were there; he prayed they would be safe as he entered the large room.

Cloud froze and his blood ran cold despite the intense heat that surrounded him. The king and queen of Nibelheim lay sprawled on the floor of the burning throne room, pools of blood seeped from underneath their bodies. He could not believe his eyes. This was not happening!

The culprit approached the prince, his cat-like eyes glowed with malice and his long masamune blade was soaked in the king and queen's blood. Cloud began to cower and took shaky steps backwards from the man. He wanted to reach his parents but how could he when the madman in front of him barred his path? Cloud dared to look up at the man's eyes and he shivered from the malicious stare he received.

"Is this all the Strife line could manage?" The silver-haired man laughed, throwing his head back as if it were the most humorous thing in the world. "Even the prince is a coward."

Cloud was shaking from head to toe, utter frightened and devastated. He froze in place when the man pointed the tip of his blade at Cloud's chest. "I have no qualms in killing you as well, boy. Nobody lives when they face me; Sephiroth of Midgar." When he saw the prince's eyes widen, Sephiroth smirked. "Yes, _I_ am Sephiroth. King of Midgar and general of Lord Caius of Valhalla. Does that surprise you?"

Cloud knew of him; Sephiroth was the most powerful soldier of the dark kingdoms. He had been born in Midgar but was made general of Valhalla's army underneath Lord Caius. The Shinra royal family had once ruled over Midgar as part of the Cruor Mucro, but they proved to be worthless in the eyes of the other dark kingdoms and were therefore destroyed entirely by the mere swing of General Sephiroth's sword under the orders of Caius. Now Sephiroth ruled Midgar, replacing the Shinra legacy with his own. Sephiroth; both king and general of Valhalla's army…

Seeing the prince was too in shock, Sephiroth raised his sword with the intention of cutting the prince down and finally destroying all that was left of the Strife line.  
Cloud snapped out of his trance quickly moved back. Masamune barely missed the prince's head. Sephiroth growled in annoyance when the prince fled, leaving the silver-haired general and false king standing amongst the flames.

_-XIII-_

Tifa raced past the burning homes, desperately searching for her mother and father. She wanted to be sure that they were safe. It still devastated her that something as cruel as this had occurred while she had merely been in the markets like everyone else. Why did it turn out this way?

She reached her home and burst in, ignoring the choking heat. "Mama! Papa!" She cried out. She looked around carefully, hoping to see any signs of life. The fire began to engulf her home even more but Tifa was determined to find her parents.  
Above her, the beams collapsed and fell towards the girl. Tifa braced herself for the pain but felt none. When she opened her eyes, she found herself looking up at Zangan who had pulled her away from the burning house. "Master…!" Tifa choked.

"Tifa why are you still here? You must run now!" Zangan said; his voice was anxious and filled with worry for his student's safety.

Tifa only shook her head in refusal. "Mama and Papa! Where are they? I need to find them." Zangan visibly flinched. Before he could say a word, Tifa broke out of her mentor's large arms and ran off, searching for her parents. Zangan called after her desperately but the young girl continued to run off in her desperate search.

Everything was burning; not a single home or structure was spared. Tifa felt tears sting her eyes but she held them back. She would be strong and she would not cry until she found her mother and father.

Almost immediately she spotted familiar figures ahead of her. Tifa knew who they were and quickly ran to their side. "Mama! Papa!" The girl got on her knees to inspect her parents; they were bleeding terribly and were barely breathing. "Mama, Papa! Hold on, I am going to protect you." Tifa said as she took a hold of her parents' arms, attempting to drag them to safety.

Her mother and father exchanged wary expressions as their daughter desperately tried to carry them both to safety.

The houses around them began crumbling from the searing heat of the blaze. Tifa ignored the danger, determined to bring her parents to safety.  
Zangan arrived in time to see his pupil slowly dragging her weakened mother and father along. The martial arts master tensed when he noticed the houses nearby were in the verge of falling onto Tifa.

Lockhart and his wife noticed as well, but with how slowly Tifa was moving due to their weight, it was certain she might be crushed.

Lockhart, with the last of his strength, reached out until he touched his daughter's wrist. His wife did the same and Tifa looked down at them.  
They shook their head at her and with every ounce of strength they could manage, they shoved Tifa away from them just in time as the burning debris came falling onto them.

Tifa rushed back to her parents as the burning chunks from the houses crushed them. "Papa! Mama!" Before she could run to their aid, Zangan held her back. The girl was hysterical, unable to believe what had occurred before her very eyes. They could not be dead! They just could not! Tifa struggled against her mentor but he refused to let her go.  
Tifa's knees buckled underneath her as she watched the blaze grow even more, with the bodies of her mother and father now adding to the fire's deadly hunger to burn.

Zangan gripped the girl's shoulders, attempting to shake her back to reality. "Tifa, listen to me. I know what happened was terrible, I know you wanted to save them but they wanted to keep you safe. Listen to me!" He yelled, grabbing his pupil's shaky attention. "Tifa, it is too late for them now. But you have someone else to protect; what about the prince?"  
Tifa's eyes widened in realization. Without any hesitation, she turned around and dashed off down the familiar street. Cloud! She needed to protect Cloud; she promised him that she would be a soldier and she needed to protect him in order to do so.

"_Cloud…be safe please!"_ She mentally begged, running towards the palace.

The moment she arrived, she saw that the fire had done more damage to the palace than she had expected. Her heart began to sink. Where was Cloud? Was he safe? Was he still alive?  
Desperately, Tifa ran towards the now damaged gates of the palace. She narrowed her eyes; trying to look past the inferno's swaying visions.  
She saw someone collapsed on the ground. Her eyes widened when she recognized the golden spikes on the person's head. It was Cloud.

Tifa slipped through the gaping hole left on the gate and went to Cloud's side. She shook him frantically, hoping that the prince was still alive.

When he stirred, Tifa wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Cloud was disoriented for a moment until he realized who was with him. "Tifa…? Are you okay? Where is Sir Lockhart?" The prince looked around, wondering if Tifa has rushed off to his aid while her parents were worrying for her safety. When he looked down at his friend, he saw her eyes were wet with tears. He knew that they were dead now.

Tifa shook her head and stood up, pulling Cloud with her. "I will protect you now, Cloud. I will not let…anything…hurt you…" Her voice shook but she forced herself to stay strong as she guided the young prince out of the palace grounds through the hole she had entered through.  
Cloud looked back at the palace, his own eyes were stinging as well before he began sobbing against Tifa's shoulder; the girl tensed upon feeling the boy's tears and felt regret eat at her. That meant that the king and queen had fallen; Cloud was the only one left alive.

Zangan rushed to the children the moment he saw them coming over to meet him. He inspected his pupil and the prince but found no injury except for their features being smothered with in black.

Tifa kept herself close to Cloud's side, guarding him with her very life. The prince had an arm around his friend, also determined to make sure no harm came to her. He could not believe he'd lost his mother and father, and Tifa lost hers as well.  
The prince kept glancing back over his shoulder, feeling despair and anger eat at him. He held back his tears, not wishing to remember the scene of how his mother and father looked while drowning in their own pool of blood. He shuddered and Tifa responded and holding his hand tightly.

Zangan wiped the swat from his brow as he led the children through the burning streets. Nibelheim, it would seem, had been overthrown. And what was worse was that two children had lost their parents.

He guided them to safety, hoping that nobody would dare chase them. But Zangan was not going to take the chance; he would lead Tifa and Cloud far enough until they were somewhere safe before they could all relax. Zangan froze; he felt the ground shake beneath his feet and soon a loud rumble followed. Swiftly, he took hold of the children's hand ran forward.  
His speed disoriented both of them and was met with confused expressions from Cloud and Tifa. "Master Zangan? What is happening?" Tifa cried out, tired and more than a little confused; she wanted to stop but she knew she had to push herself harder or Cloud would be in danger again.

"Come, hurry! We must leave here before Midgar's soldiers locate us!" Zangan said, pulling the two along while keeping a firm grip on their hands.

Tifa's eyes widened; Midgar was responsible? She had heard stories of the False King, Sephiroth but did not think he would actually dare attack Nibelheim.  
Cloud tightened his arm around Tifa's shoulders. "We'll escape, _together_!" He reminded her and Tifa she calmed down somewhat, and focused her energy on keeping Cloud out of harm's way; it was what she needed to do now as his future general.

They were close to leaving Nibelheim; Zangan could see that there were still people leaving. It seems that they have not yet missed evacuating. He quickened his pace, making sure the children still kept up with him.

The citizens were in a panic, running and jostling each other about. It was all truly chaotic. Tifa and Cloud struggled to hold onto each other as people continued to stampede about in a desperate attempt to avoid being killed.  
Soon, soldiers on chocobo mounts rushed over, their swords were drawn and ready to destroy anyone who dares cross their path. The mere sight of them caused the panic to increase tenfold. Eventually, Zangan found himself being rocked back and forth among the crowd; he held on to the children as they got closer to the exit of Nibelheim.

The Midgar soldiers and their chocobos dashed about, crashing into and knocking down everything in sight; some of the citizens were cut down by the soldiers' swords. The screaming grew louder along with the terrible human stampede.  
Tifa and Cloud held on fast until a screaming woman crashed into them only to be struck down by a Midgar soldier.

The prince and girl jumped and screamed in shock as the woman's blood splattered their clothes. Their stunned condition was enough for the panicking crowd to easily separate them.  
Tifa gasped when Cloud's hand slipped from hers. The prince struggled to return to his friend's side; he could not bear to leave Tifa alone. She was all he had, and he was all she had left as well. Desperately, he shoved past the people, calling for her.

Tifa looked around, hoping to see the prince's golden locks among the crowd. "Cloud! Cloud where are you?" Zangan grit his teeth when he realized what had happened. He pulled Tifa along but his pupil refused to leave Cloud behind. "Cloud! Where are you? Cloud!" Tifa continued to call out to her friend but the screams were so loud she could hardly hear him.

"Tifa! Are you there? Tifa where are you?" Cloud yelled as loud as he could, hoping to hear a response from her.

As the crowd managed to exit Nibelheim, the people began to disperse in different directions. Tifa and were jostled along to one side just as Cloud had spotted them.  
The prince pushed and shoved as hard as he could and reached out. "Tifa!" He called and immediately their eyes met.  
Tifa struggled against Zangan's hold and reached her hand out to take a hold of Cloud's once again. The stampede was making it difficult for them to fully reach each other. "Cloud, please hold on!" The girl tried grab onto the young prince's hand but everybody around them kept shoving, only concerned for their own safety.

Soon Cloud was swept away by the crowd like helpless driftwood in a stormy sea. He gasped in horror when he saw that Tifa was also being swept away, but to another side, getting farther away from him. The prince was devastated the second he lost sight of her. "_Tifa_!" He continued to call out her name as he was forced to flow with the surviving citizens of his kingdom.

Tifa was held back by Zangan before she could rush to Cloud. She could not longer hold back tears as her good friend was swept away from her. "Let me go Master! I must save Cloud! Please let me go!" She begged but Zangan—his heart as heavy as Tifa's—continued onward.  
The man grit his teeth even more as he attempting to hide his own tears of regret; he had wanted to bring _both_ the prince and his pupil to safety but only managed to save one. Now with Prince Cloud Strife lost within the waves of the panicking citizens, there was no telling if he would be able to make it to safety on his own. His heart broke as his pupil cried out for the young prince, "Cloud! Cloud!"

Unable to accept losing Cloud, Tifa continued to struggle against Zangan. She kicked and screamed, and went on calling for Cloud until she and her mentor were far away. Nibelheim could still be seen, burning along with the once-grand palace of the Strife bloodline.

* * *

All was silent except for the crackling of the campfire Zangan started once he and Tifa had walked far enough from the disorder. The mentor glanced over to his student; Tifa had not spoken a word since they had left Nibelheim and Prince Cloud behind.

The girl stared into the fire, her wine-colored eyes glowing with the reflection of the embers. All in one night she had lost all those dear to her; Mother, Father, and now Cloud as well.  
She shivered but it was not from the cold. Her heart grew heavy as the images of her loss replayed in her head over and over. She kept seeing Cloud's face as he tried to reach for her amongst the stampede, only to be carried off like she was.

Zangan did not know what to say, but he chose to remain silent and allow Tifa to think and take in the events of this tragic night. Even if it was too difficult to swallow and accept, especially for a child who was merely nine years of age. Suddenly, Tifa stood up and walked around the campfire. She moved a few distance off but Zangan could still hear her as he watched his pupil trudge off a few feet away.

The mentor could hear his pupil speak to herself, "Sephiroth… Sephiroth did this, right?" He continued to watch her, his concern growing the more his pupil began to pace.  
Tifa clenched her fists. "Sephiroth, Midgar, Cruor Mucro…" Unable to withstand the pain inside her chest any longer, Tifa began to flail her arms around like an animal suffering from fatal wounds; the sight was heartbreaking to Zangan. No child should be acting or feeling this way. It was just not right.

Tifa Lockhart glared at the starless sky as tears flew from her red-wine-eyes as she let out a loud oath, "I hate it! _I hate it all_!"

* * *

**Ending it here for now. Did you guys miss me?**

**Sorry for being so slow; I have been feeling unwell lately. Does anyone know how to get rid of nausea early in the morning?**

**This chapter reveals how Cloud and Tifa spent their childhood with each other before the tragic night in Nibelheim, also how Tifa wishes to become the very first female soldier. As mentioned in a previous chapter, Tifa is iconic for being the first woman to be a soldier, and a General of the Royal army no less.**

**Now if you recall, it was mentioned that Cloud and Tifa had to win back Nibelheim and this shows just what it meant.**

**I hope you guys caught that little reference in this chapter; I just had to add because I loved how it sounded coming out of Tifa when I first watched Final Fantasy VII Last Order. And like I said before, more will be revealed and explained hence this little saga comes into play. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was hell to write while I was kind of sick and my nephew kept asking for attention during his visit so I had to stop for a bit.**

**Anyway, Cloud and Tifa's tale is not done yet. Just wait until they get older and see how they have grown. Even I can't wait!**

**Notice how the roles seem to slightly switch between Cloud and Tifa; in the game Cloud was the one who wanted to become a SOLDIER and promised to protect Tifa, whereas here in Sanctuaire, it was Tifa who wanted to be part of the royal army, partly to protect Cloud and partly to make a change in the whole thing about females being soldiers.**

**Do not be too concerned, Cloud will still be as strong as you know him. He just needs to grow as he is still just a young boy here.**

**As always, thank you for supporting this story. I appreciate it and I am just as excited to get the next chapter out. Ask questions if anything confuses you or if you wish to confirm something you are unsure about in the story so far. I will answer you as best as I can in the next chapter without spoiling the story.**

**For those of you who might be concerned with errors in the chapter, do not worry. Once I upload this, I will be reading the chapter and fix any mistakes that I had failed to correct so you can be sure that if you ever decided to re-read any of the chapters, the errors would have been fixed.**

**For now wish Cloud and Tifa good luck; they will need it now. And speaking of luck, what happened to young Prince Cloud? Well, you will all have to wait and see.**

**Until then…**


	30. Chapter XXX: Clouded Wolf

**Disclaimer:**** This is the second part of the Reminisce Saga. What happened to Prince Cloud after his separation from Tifa? This is where you will find out.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXX: Clouded Wolf**

He felt so tired, too worn out to move anymore. It felt so easy to just remain there, just lie still and sleep forever. He did not want to move, even though his skin was starting to feel hot and grimy from lack of hygienic care. Even in his dreams he could not forget the scorching heat and the fear that had taken over him when he had seen Sephiroth's face and murderous eyes.

In the eyes of many, it would be natural to say that a child his age did not deserve to go through or even witness such events. Too late for him. He had nothing left; his home, his mother and father, and even his dear friend were gone.

Cloud wanted to sleep and continue sleeping but several pains in his body did not allow him the pleasure of an easy slumber.  
Instead he could have sworn he heard voices. Unfamiliar voices. Two of them in fact, but his mind was too foggy to make note of anything significant. He wanted to tell the voices to stop speaking but he could not open his mouth to say a single word or even twitch his fingers to swat away at whoever was bothering him.

"How is he?"

"His fever has died down somewhat, thank goodness."

"How do you suppose we should speak to him once he wakes up?"

"… I suppose we must be as honest as we can."

The voices continued to speak, irritating the prince even in his sleep. He was going back and forth between the world of dreams and the waking world.  
He wanted to move to a quieter place but his body was still very much numb and out of his control. He could not even remember what had happened for him to have ended up in such a state. But what he did remember was that nobody else was about. So how was he hearing voices of other people?

Was he dead? Was it the voices of the higher beings he was hearing? Were the gods discussing his fate?

A warm hand touched Cloud's forehead for a brief second before it moved away and one of the voices spoke again. It was hard to tell what they were discussing but the prince had no desire to make an effort to move, having given up on the struggle.  
Cloud felt the heat in his body slowly cool down to decent warmth. Despite his confusion, the prince allowed himself to fall into a peaceful abyss of slumber; he was still tired and he could no longer hear the voices speak.

"He seems to be resting peacefully now." Zack Fair said in a hushed voice and smiled at his wife in relief. Aerith exhaled, "Thank the gods… I was afraid his fever would overwhelm him."

The blonde boy on the bed had stopped tossing and turning at long last. It lifted some weight from Zack and Aerith's shoulders to know that the child they had found not too long ago would be returning to his full health soon enough.  
To think that a boy his age would be left to die in a barren land… It did not sit well on Zack's conscience the moment he saw the boy. There had been nobody else around so it had completely puzzled Zack when he had found the boy and brought him home.

Aerith had treated the child's sickness all day and night with Zack watching over them both. It broke Aerith's heart to see such a young one alone and left behind to die; though Zack had reasoned that they would need to hear the true story from the boy himself before confirming any suspicions.

Cloud continued to sleep, unaware of his rescuers watching him or the bed that he was lying down on ever since he had been brought in.  
He began to dream again; he thought of the palace, his mother and father, and Tifa. He wondered if Tifa was safe, and was she thinking of him? Was she as worried as he was at the moment? Was Tifa angry at him for leaving her side?

Just the thought of his friend was enough to make Cloud feel guilty about not looking out for her well enough like she had for him.

Zack stared at the young boy and sighed. "You seem to have come a long way. I wonder what story you will tell us once you recover…" Aerith placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "He just needs to rest some more and he should awaken soon. Not to worry," She reassured.  
Zack touched his wife's hand and smiled up at her. "Let's rest as well then. Hopefully he will be awake tomorrow." Taking one more glance at the boy, the husband and wife exited the room, allowing the child to rest.

Cloud felt cold inside; he could not stop thinking about Sephiroth's cold and murderous eyes that was full of malicious and bloodthirsty intent.

He wanted to see Tifa again, he wanted to be with his mother and father in the palace and he wanted to spend time in his mother's gardens. But he knew better; he was still very young but he was no fool. He knew that now his kingdom along with the gardens was now full of ashes and death.  
The young prince tried to shove away the images of what his home looked like now; burned to the ground and in ruins, overtaken by Midgar and its false king. Cloud shuddered inwardly and tried to relax his mind. He wanted it to go away—the pain, the images in his mind, and the memories of the incident… All of it.

It was difficult to remain asleep with the terrible dreams haunting him and repeating itself in his mind. Cloud struggled to remain calm and return to his slumber but his head swirled with dark thoughts and the fire from his memories felt too real, it began to drive him insane.  
He tried reaching out blindly hoping in vain that somebody was there, that somebody could hear his silent screams. He was just a young boy; he should be experiencing these nightmares! He wanted to call out to anyone but it was useless. He felt as if he were suffocating, drowning…

Finally the prince gasped and awoke with a start.

"Are you all right? You were thrashing around so much I could hardly hold you down." Somebody spoke, surprising Cloud. While still slightly disoriented, the prince looked around to observe his surroundings; he was not outside or decaying underneath the scorching heat. Where was he? When he looked beside him, his eyes met with a black-haired man's gaze. Cloud almost jumped but the friendly smile the man had on his lips was enough to reassure the boy that he meant no harm.

Zack stood up from the chair he had been seated in and sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling fine now? You have been sleeping for a long time; my wife and I were beginning to worry." He said. Cloud stared at his own hands before he dares to ask, "… How long…did I sleep?"

"About seven days at most." Zack said, before his curiosity got the better of him, "Were you separated from your family by any chance?"  
Cloud shook his head. "I don't have a family." It pained him to say such a thing but he had no choice but to accept that fact. His mother and father—the queen and king—were dead. And his country…who knew what had happened to Nibelheim after the disaster that had befallen the kingdom.

Zack looked at the boy with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that. What happened to them? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

Cloud frowned. "They died." That was the only response he offered to the man. He felt heavy in his chest, he just wanted it all to stop, and he wanted to believe that it was all a terrible nightmare and that when he awoke, he would meet Tifa at the gates and his mother and father would approach to greet the both of them before they attended to royal duties.  
He knew he was only fooling himself. He was young but he was not that naïve. He knew he was alone now; Tifa was gone and he did not even know if she was still alive or not or what she was doing at the moment. Was she safe and found a new home? What about her dream of becoming a soldier?

"Would it be possible for you to tell me your name at least?" Zack asked after a long moment of silence. At first the boy did not seem like he wanted to answer but before Zack could reassure him that he did not need to answer, the boy spoke. "Cloud. My name is Cloud."

Zack nodded. "Well you must be hungry. Just stay here and I will bring you something. My wife will be happy that you are awake now."  
As he left the room, Cloud laid back down on the pillows and stared at the ceiling. He had not expected anyone to find him; he remembered falling onto his face in the middle of an isolated area. There had been no sign of life or civilization.

As his thoughts wandered, Zack soon returned with a plate of bread, cheese, and meat, and a bowl of hot soup. The smell drifted to Cloud's senses and his stomach reacted immediately.

"I see your stomach demands nourishment." Zack laughed as he placed the food on the table beside a window in the room. He went to Cloud's side and guided him to the table. To Cloud's surprise, his legs felt wobbly and tired. How long had he been walking on his own in the world while not knowing where to go? His mind instead focused on the food before him.  
Cloud dug into his meal and tried his best to remain polite at the table but his hunger was holding him back from his manners. Zack chuckled, "You are hungry, I understand. Don't worry I will not judge your table manners." That was all the permission Cloud needed as he began wolfing down the loaf of bread, the large chunk of meat, and carefully drinking down his soup.

"Ah, I almost forgot. My name is Zack, Zack Fair. My wife is Aerith; you can meet her later once she is finished with tending to her flowers. She loves her garden more than me, I swear." Zack joked lightheartedly.

Cloud cleared his throat. "You have…a garden?" It was the only thing on his mind at the moment. He remembered his mother and Tifa; they both loved flowers and gardens. He wondered what sort of flowers Zack's wife had in her garden.  
"You like flowers too? Well Aerith is very good with them. It is like she understands the flowers and they understand her." Zack seemed to drift off into his own world after that, much to the young prince's slight amusement.

Cloud sighed and felt his stomach grumble for more. "I am still a bit hungry… May I…?" Zack was on his feet with the empty plate and bowl in his hands. "Of course! I will get you some more. Wait there."

As he laid there, Cloud wondered if he was paralyzed. He moved his legs slightly to test his mobility and so far he still seemed to have the ability to move his legs, and his arms as well.  
Slowly he stood up from the bed and moved towards the window. His movements were slow but he was glad that he could still walk despite the aches he felt in his body.

Zack returned with more food and found the prince staring out the window while standing on his own two legs.

The dark-haired man placed the food on the nightstand and approached the boy. "You sure you can move now? You just woke up from a seven-day sleep after all." He looked at the blonde boy's eyes carefully and noticed how guarded they looked.  
Cloud lowered his head. "Where am I?" He stared at the view before him and nothing he saw looked the least bit familiar. It looked like a rather simple town, peaceful enough. Zack noticed his confusion and answered, "You're in Gongaga. My hometown. I found you just around the outskirts but still very far away from civilization."

"It looks peaceful here." Cloud commented, glancing at the man beside him. Zack nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes it is. How about you Cloud? Where do you come from?" The question made the prince flinch. "I do not want to speak about it," Cloud admitted shamefully.

_-XIII-_

Cloud spent the rest of the day speaking with Zack and explaining how he had managed to find his way—though just barely—to the outskirts of Gongaga.  
The young prince made sure to leave out some details that he did not wish to ever speak of or think of again; they were just too painful for him to bear.

"You really have come a long way, Cloud. I cannot believe that Nibelheim has been burned to the ground! I loved that country; it has so many interesting people…" Zack said sadly before he clenched his fists. "What does that Sephiroth want? Why destroy the kingdom? Why kill the king and queen? And what about their son?"

Cloud remained silent; he could never answer that question. He was just Cloud now; not a prince, not a Strife-born… There was no reason to hold on to that name now. His home was destroyed, his parents were murdered and some of the people of Nibelheim had most likely been massacred just like the night he had attempted to escape with Zangan and Tifa.  
Once again the thought of her name pained Cloud's chest; more than anything he wanted to see Tifa again. He wanted to know if his friend was all right, and alive.

Just then, Aerith entered the house and smiled brightly upon seeing her husband conversing with the boy. She approached Cloud and felt his forehead, surprising the young blonde. "Thank goodness. Your fever has finally faded away."

Cloud nodded. "Thank you both…for helping me." He murmured, bowing his head.

Aerith's smile widened. "Well we certainly could not leave you out there to die now, could we? I am sure you wish to stretch your legs. Why not go with Zack into town? Perhaps it could help you calm your nerves," She suggested. Zack grinned at the suggestion and stood up from his chair. "Great idea! How does that sound Cloud? I could use the company anyway, and I can introduce you to this place." Cloud seemed hesitant but thought for a moment about it.  
After what seemed like long hours, Cloud nodded and looked at Zack. "I would like to join you," He said with a small polite smile.

Zack grinned and quickly ushered Cloud and himself out. "Then let's go! I will show you everything there is to learn about Gongaga!" Aerith watched as the two males left the house. She laughed quietly to herself as she decided it was time to clean the house.

* * *

"And you have absolutely no memory of what had happened after the kingdom had been burned?" Zack asked Cloud later that night over dinner.  
The young prince had told his terrible tale to his new friends, while also omitting some of the truth such as his title as prince. He did not need to refer to himself as such anyway; everything was gone and there was no need for it.  
Aerith frowned sadly. "That was horrible of Midgar to just simple _destroy_ Nibelheim, no news of a war had even been announced!" She glared down at her food in disgust at the thought of the terrible false king burning all and taking innocent lives.

Cloud lowered his gaze. "I want to find my friend, but I do not know what happened to her after we had been separated. I hope she is alive and well."

Zack smiled warmly and touched Cloud's shoulder. "I am sure she is all right. You mentioned that her mentor was with her…? Then he must have taken her under his wing." Aerith nodded in agreement, observing the worried expression on Cloud's face. Immediately she could see that this friend of Cloud's was important to him. Zack noticed as well.  
The young prince continued to eat, still feeling very famished. He finished his stew and turned to the meat on his plate.

He thought of his life, and his possible future. Where would he live? What would he do? What could he offer to life as he grew into a man years from now?

Zack noticed the boy's distant expression. "Are you worried? You seem to be thinking deeply about something." He was answered with a blank stare from Cloud.  
With another warm smile, Zack looked at the boy seriously. "If you are having some doubts you can always ask Aerith and I. Just feel free to voice any doubts if you have any, there is no shame in it." Aerith nodded in agreement, her green eyes shining.

Cloud hesitated for a moment then gave in. "I don't know what I am supposed to do from here. If Nibelheim was burned down and in ruins, then where should I go? What should I do? I do not have any plans."

"You can stay with us." Zack offered without hesitation, "I can also teach you about work here. Perhaps you might find an occupation you enjoy and find your true calling."  
Cloud seemed to brighten at the idea and nodded. "I would…like that. I suppose I do need a fresh start…right?" His unsure words earned him warm smiles from his new friends. They encouraged him and he felt like a new boy. Perhaps he _can_ begin life anew.

* * *

Cloud had grown accustomed to life in Gongaga. Now it felt as if he had always been a part of the town, of the community.

Zack and Aerith had treated him like a member of their family and soon they were very much his true family. Cloud begun to feel complete again.  
The lost prince was growing fast and Zack noticed. He taught Cloud everything he knew about the art of swordsmanship while Aerith decided to show Cloud the many meanings of flowers. Cloud could still remember what some messages meant due to his mother speaking to him about them but Aerith taught him other things about the flowers that his own mother was unable to.

For years Cloud lived in Gongaga with his new family growing into a fine young man who earned the respect of his new friends and fellow citizens of Gongaga.

Still he could never forget the place he'd hail from; he could never forget his mother and father, and he most certainly could not _ever_ forget about Tifa. His very first and closest friend and companion. There were nights when he would lie awake and wonder how she was faring now. Cloud was now a young man of fourteen, soon to be fifteen, and he was growing well and strong—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Was Tifa growing just as strong as he was? Was she still pursuing her dream of becoming the very first female soldier?

Among all the others, Cloud missed Tifa he most. He still recalled her red-wine-eyes and the worry and dread that shone in those very eyes when they had been separated from each other during the escape.

Cloud had spoken to Zack and Aerith of Tifa a few times, even expressing his worry and nearly-constant thoughts about her.  
Surprisingly, the husband and wife took a liking to Tifa just by hearing about her. Aerith felt that if Tifa was still as determined as she was while still young then there would be no doubt that she would still push through with her goal of being a soldier. Zack seemed to have faith in Tifa as well, even saying she may have what it took to become a night, provided that she continued her training.

Once again Cloud was grateful for his friends. They cared for him and even encouraged him; in return he would help provide for them and support them, offering his assistance in any way he could. As the days went by, Cloud continued to live his life as a simple country boy of Gongaga. He loved his new life, his new family, and his new home. He had gotten to know many of the townsfolk mostly due to Zack's guidance.

Now an adolescent of fifteen years, Cloud found his heart enamored by a girl his age. He had met her several times before while out walking with Zack.

From the very beginning the girl had made Cloud feel as if he were drawn to her by a strange power. She was a simple and sweet farm girl who worked with the animals on her father's field. Cloud first met her while accompanying Zack who needed some fresh milk and cheese. The farmer they had visited had the best kind and that was when the prince met the farmer's young daughter. She had been slightly timid but polite.  
Now as a young man Cloud knew his heart had grown fond of her. At a young age he managed to befriend her and now he wished to be more to her. While she was still slightly timid, she seemed to accept his advances.

Cloud tried to calm his nerves as he approached the front door leading into the home of his lady love.

He had been contemplating, planning, trying to decide how he would approach the matter of asking the farmer if he may court his daughter. The farmer was a gentle man of course but Cloud was rather nervous nonetheless.  
He inhaled and exhaled several times, trying to soothe his mind. He had come this far and was not willing to let the chance pass him by. Steeling himself, he knocked on the front door.

His object of affection answered and Cloud felt his breath catch at the sight of her simple beauty. She had lovely brown eyes and wonderful pale skin, her hair was a delightful shade of brown. Cloud felt his cheeks grow warm as she greeted him with a smile.  
He offered his hand to her, requesting that they take a walk together. She did not object and called out to her father before taking Cloud's hand and walking with him. His heart hammered inside of his chest and he felt a stab of nervousness as he mentally planned on how he was to confess his affections for her. He desperately wished she would return his affections.

"Is something bothering you, Cloud?" She asked, her eyes looking right into his and full of concern. Again the lost prince felt his heart skip a beat. How he wanted—desired even—this woman.

For a while he did not answer her and was content with the peaceful quiet that surrounded them both. His lady love did not seem to mind his silence and instead joined him in taking in the wonderful day. Cloud tried not to tremble or stumble with his words; he needed to tell her properly and he needed to tell her at this very moment.  
Before he could say anything, his body moved on its own; he took his lady love's hands in his and confessed his love to her. He was shaking from the nervous feeling but it did not last long when his beloved pressed her lips to his, returning his affections.

This surprised Cloud but he responded in kind. His heart was aflutter that the object of his love returned his affections.

When the lost prince had returned to Zack and Aerith that night, he told them of the event and his friends smiled warmly, happy that at last Cloud had found the courage to speak to the woman he desired to wed one day. Zack was proud, like an older brother was for his younger sibling and Cloud could not be any happier.  
However as he laid in bed his thoughts returned to Nibelheim, his deceased parents, Tifa, and his title as prince. He thought he had left that past behind him, he thought that he had managed to move on from the pain and guilt he felt. He _wanted_ to move on, start a new life and a family of his own with his beloved. But these memories and thoughts of his fallen kingdom continued to plague him throughout every night of sleep he wished to gain.

He all but gave up when he could not keep his eyes closed and quietly snuck out of the house through his window. He glanced at his new home he shared with Zack and Aerith then ran for the home of his lady love, hoping she would still be awake.  
Cloud felt a burden lift from his shoulders when he saw the candlelight was glowing in the window he knew was his beloved's room. She was still awake, and he needed to see her now; he needed _her_.

When he climbed onto her window, she was surprised but allowed him inside. He then spoke to her about nightmares he had of Nibelheim, though he never told her of his true lineage as Prince Strife. He told her of the good friend he was worried about, of the burned kingdom itself, and of how he had nightmares of Sephiroth's malicious eyes.

No more words were exchanged between them both that night as Cloud felt his beloved embrace him and comforted him with a loving kiss that held more passion than he thought it could. Cloud decided to continue farther and she allowed him to, giving herself to him that night all the while they did their best not to awaken her father. Cloud made love to her, hoping she could feel how much he felt for her. When he saw her smile after they were both sated, he knew that she understood.

* * *

Cloud had hoped his new-found happiness would last forever; that he would continue to live this peaceful life until he grew old with his beloved. He was terribly mistaken once again.

"Zack! Aerith!" He called for them in the choking heat. Cloud's heart began to beat faster than before; his entire body shook at how too familiar this scene looked, but this time he was old enough and strong enough to fight back. He will no longer run away, not like before when he had been a young boy.

Cloud ran to his house, hoping that his dear friends were still all right. When he reached home he found that the house was still safe but battered. Zack stood outside, looking tired and bearing several small cuts on his body. Immediately Cloud ran to his friend's side just as Aerith walked out of the house to tend to Zack's minor wounds.  
The lost prince would not believe this was happening again; he felt rage boil inside him but at the same time, terror struck his heart. He feared large fires such as these, and he never wanted to see them again, but now his new home in Gongaga was burning just like his homeland. "Who did this?" Cloud questioned, trying to keep his voice calm.

Zack shook his head but Aerith answered instead, "…It was soldiers from Midgar." She glanced at Cloud and saw the fire burn in his eyes. He was angered, enraged that Sephiroth and his soldiers had ruined the life he had.

Cloud placed a hand on the sword he kept on his belt and ran for the entrance of Gongaga, hoping to catch sight of the enemies despite his friends' protests and warnings.  
He ignored their pleas for him to stop and continued onward; he was determined to end this, and to put a stop to the flames of death Midgar was spreading. He had lost one home and family once and he had no intention of losing his new one.

The thought made Cloud pause as he suddenly remembered something vital. He turned on his heels and ran for his beloved's house. He needed to make sure she was safe first.

As he ran, the flames grew hotter and seemed to burn him without even touching him. Cloud ignored the heat and concentrated on reaching his beloved.  
His heart was beginning to beat erratically with panic and worry; he hoped he was not too late to reach her or her father. He increased his pace and kept one hand on the hilt of his sword should he ever manage to encounter any of the Midgar soldiers.

Cloud reached the farmhouse of his lady love and his heart stopped cold; flames engulfed the quaint little house, filling every room with inferno blazes and choking smoke.

He rushed into the burning house despite this and called out for his beloved but received no answer. Only the angry flames responded to his call. He continued to search, plowing through the hellish fires until he reached her bedroom door. He kicked it down and the door fell to the floor, letting the flames devour its wooden form next.  
There was nothing but more flames when Cloud looked inside. His heart felt like it had suddenly stopped beating forever. He knew by the condition the house was in that he was too late; she was gone. His beloved, her father…they were both gone.

Cloud yelled out in a rage and jumped through the bedroom window, landing on his feet as he fell to the ground.

Before he could make the decision to seek vengeance, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see Zack smiling at him sympathetically. "I am sorry, Cloud," He said. Zack must have known, but Cloud did not try to deny anything, it was too late anyway. But before he could charge forward, Zack stopped him and shook his head. "Not when you are in this condition, Cloud. You can't fight them now." Zack lifted his sword up and placed his forehead against it, meditating for a few seconds; Cloud was familiar with this gesture as he had seen Zack do it multiple times before they began training or before Zack ran into battle.

Cloud forced himself to remain calm despite the hole in his heart. Zack nodded at him and gestured for the lost prince to follow him. Cloud did so and they were both joined by Aerith on their way. She held a long metallic staff in her hands and smiled at the men encouragingly.

The three of them ran towards the entrance of Gongaga, coming face-to-face with the soldiers responsible. To Cloud's shock there were only a few of them. He had thought that an entire army had been sent but instead only five soldiers stood there.  
Sensing the unasked question, Zack spoke. "The five Elites of Midgar. They were said to be trained by Sephiroth himself. These men are the deadliest of all…"

Aerith moved closer to her husband and Cloud griped the hilt of his sword harder. The Elite soldiers stared at the three of them blankly, no emotions were written in their eyes. Indeed they were complete killing machines in human flesh.

_-XIII-_

Nobody was certain about who charged first. In their minds, everything was a blur and neither side knew who had thrown the first attack. Perhaps it was both, who knew?

Cloud felt his strength wavering and glanced at his friends to see that they too were losing their energy. Still, Zack held on strong, gripping his large buster sword in a tight hold as he forced himself to stand up and face his foes once again. Aerith remained at her husband's side, supporting both him and Cloud. The lost prince felt Zack's renewed strength as if it were being transferred to him as well.

All three prepared for another attack and took their stance while the Elites remained standing in the very same spot they had been.

The party of three continued their assault but before anyone noticed, the Elites seem to move. However Zack and Aerith noticed that the enemy did indeed move and they were both struck down. Cloud felt his heart burn even more as he charged on still. He struck the first man who gasped in shock that he, an _Elite_ had been touched by his foe's blade.  
His comrades went for Cloud but the young man was too enraged, too fast for them to keep up with. They had never thought that this _boy_ would be strong enough to suddenly surpass them in power.

Cloud felt a strange yet familiar heat rise up from within him. Instinctively, he clenched his fist and drew his arm back. A glow engulfed his arm, surprising the Elites to the point that they were trembling in their armor. A surge of scorching heat replaced the simple warmth Cloud had and immediately he swung his arm forward, unleashing a blast of flames at the five men in armor. The Elites shrieked, having not anticipated that their prey would know how to use magic.

They stood up again, eager to try again, or perhaps retreat to report to their lord and master. Cloud, however, would not have it.

Filled with rage, the prince unleashed a barrage of magic attacks. He knew this meant that the Crystal of Nibelheim had sensed him, and was giving him these powers he had long inherited since his birth. He did not allow any of the Elites to live nor did he allow them to stand up again.  
Despite their cries, Cloud continued his onslaught until every single one of them was dead and lifeless for good.

Cloud had no idea what had come over him but once he had calmed himself, he turned to where his friends had been thrown aside. They were barely breathing but they managed to smile at him when they saw him. Cloud had knelt by their side, desperately pleading for them to hang on a bit longer while he helped them recover somehow.  
To his surprise, Zack had addressed him as "Prince", but it should not have been too much of a shock since Zack had witnessed the power Cloud displayed. Deep down, the husband and wife just knew who he was but nevertheless, they loved Cloud like he was a part of the family.

Despite how weak and beaten he was, Zack had enough strength to lift the large sword in his hand towards Cloud. He smiled and handed the precious weapon to the prince but Cloud was reluctant; he knew how important the sword was to Zack. Aerith could only smile and weakly place her hand on top of Zack's. Cloud watched as the both of them held the sword up to him.

Without much choice, Cloud gently took hold of the sword as Zack weakly pushed it to the prince. "Embrace…your dreams…Cloud…" Zack had said with his dying breath. He and Aerith smiled again as rain started to pour from the heavens above. The sudden rains began to extinguish the fires, also just in time to mingle with the warm tears that began to flow down Cloud's face.  
He watched as his friends smiled at the rainy skies before they closed their eyes to enjoy their eternal slumber before they set off on their next journey into the heavenly light.

Cloud was not sure what had happened after that. All he remembered was how he stumbled and dragged Zack's sword with him, creating a sluggish line in the dirt with the tip of the blade.

The prince's heart was heavy and filled with guilt; once again he was unable to protect those he held dear and now he had lost a second home. He felt something inside him snap as he found renewed strength. He felt anger rise within in him once again.  
He faced the dark sky as the rains continued. His beloved, his friends Zack and his wife Aerith…all of them were gone before his very eyes. His heart grew heavier as he realized there was but one thing left for him to do now. As he dragged along the buster sword, Cloud mentally made plans in his mind while he held back the bitter feeling of loss and sadness and guilt.

He w_ill_ avenge everyone and everything he had lost, even if it meant returning to Nibelheim; the very place he swore never to return to.

* * *

**Have you guys missed me? It has been a very long time since I uploaded anything new. I apologize for that but I had no choice since it is close to the finals in college and soon I will be flying out of the Philippines to spend a long vacation in the UAE with my mom. But like I said before I have not and will not stop writing so I am glad you guys hopefully still like this story.**

**Anyway, here we see Cloud and how he met Cloud and Aerith. Also, I purposely left Cloud's first love unnamed for purposes of the story. She is pretty much an "unknown woman" who was previously Cloud's beloved in Gongaga. But how did he end up turning to Tifa? Or even when did he realize his affections for Tifa? In the next chapter you will find out!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this, and I will be reading this chapter once I upload it so I can correct any errors I made, you can be sure of that. Stay awesome you guys and have a good day!**

**Until then…**


	31. Chapter XXXI: Iron Maiden

**Disclaimer:**** I just wanted to let everyone know that the reason I have not been around writing because of I had gone through a major surgery and had to stay in the hospital for about three days. I also had stitches and they hurt a lot so I had to focus on recovering before I could actually focus on writing properly.**

**Anyway, I am back again and hopefully all goes right enough.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**SANCTUAIRE**

**Chapter XXXI: Iron Maiden**

For a year now Cloud wandered. He was stronger, wiser than any young man of sixteen; and with good reason of course. Ever since he left Gongaga after burying Aerith and Zack in their most beloved spot, Cloud had remained to pray for them before he got to his feet and left.  
Now he lived the next year of his life as a wanderer. There were times when he would stop to perform duties of a mercenary to anyone who asked for it, and of course, if they had enough money to afford his services.

Cloud's loss was still heavy in his mind as he continued his seemingly endless journey. He still remembered his vow to himself; he wanted to end Midgar even if it meant he would have to return to Nibelheim. He feared returning there after his failure to save his kingdom, his mother and father… But now it would seem that he might have no choice.

He had grown slighter taller but was still somewhat shorter than other full-grown men, but he was physically endowed and he had taken Zack's lesson's to heart. He continued training though it sometimes pained him to do so whenever memories continued to attack his mind. He pushed back the pain and went on his way, though there were nights when he could barely sleep at all. It was as if the gods wished for him to be tormented until he lost his sanity entirely.

These heavy thoughts, thoughts of guilt and failure weighed him down heavily. He refused to let it stop him however, that is, until he had managed to destroy his enemies.

Zack's beloved sword was strapped to the prince's back, weighing him down heavily despite how he carried it with so much ease. It was an entirely different kind of heavy burden; not the weight of the sword itself, but the weight of the memories it carried with it.  
Cloud pushed his thoughts at the very far end of his mind as best as he could. The thought of the flames consuming all in its path and his friends falling at the hands of their enemies… The prince felt his heart and head ache from the trauma that had scarred him forever.

He refused to let this stop him. He pushed on farther, determined to reach the place he had always dreaded returning to. Nibelheim had been his home, his kingdom. Now it was most likely in shambles from the tyranny of Midgar's mercy.

Cloud knew that no matter what, he was the prince. But he had still wanted to move on and leave his life and past in Nibelheim behind. He did not want to return, he wished he did not have to. But Midgar had given him no choice; if he could someone bring a resistance together, then it would be possible to overthrow Midgar. However, he was not sure he would want to rule the country once Midgar falls. He still wished to leave that life behind. All of it.

When he did reach the entrance of Nibelheim, he grew hesitant again. The gates were ruined and the city was dark and full of gloom like Midgar and the kingdom of Tenebrae.  
Cloud forced himself to move forward but his heart grew heavier as his eyes took in the chaos that had been left behind all those years ago. Nibelheim was now in shambles and filled with poor people who were most likely survivors living in poor conditions.

Cloud felt like everything had begun to move slowly, including himself. Everywhere he looked he saw only more pitiful sights of a kingdom that was once his home.

He adjusted his cloak, covering his entire body while underneath it his hand touched the hilt of the extra sword he kept at his waist while Zack's cherished sword was strapped to his back. The prince tried to hold back the heavy burdens he felt in his chest at the poor sight of Nibelheim. He began to worry; were there any brave souls left to actually rebel against Midgar's forces?

For now he wanted to rest somewhere and not draw attention to himself. He was certain that strangers who entered here would be considered as thoroughly suspicious. He wished to avoid any unnecessary confrontations.

He made the decision to rest at the nearest inn he could find. The innkeeper seemed rather depressed and somewhat frightened; obviously the man feared for his life ever since Nibelheim had been overtaken by Sephiroth and his kingdom.  
Cloud said nothing as he entered the room he was given. The inn was decent enough but it was obviously not as lovely as it used to be when the Strifes ruled and Nibelheim flourished. Again the prince tried to ignore the guilt and pain inside him as he stared out of his window.

The kingdom was plagued with more than just poverty it seemed; with Midgar now ruling over, Nibelheim would surely lose more than just its vibrant riches. Midgar was known for its alchemists and alchemy; the kingdom was known to have created artificial magic as a show of power and riches. Shinra had previously been the ruling family until Sephiroth slaughtered the entire clan and claimed the throne as his own. There had been much speculation as to why the Shinra were slaughtered. Some believed it was because the Cruor Mucro deemed the Shinra clan as weak.

Some others believed it was because Shinra's talents in alchemy; they had been destroyed due to the desire and jealousy of their supposed allies.

Those who knew better knew the true reason. The Shinra royal family preferred to bask in their power and riches until some of the family members turned into round-bellied pigs. The Cruor Mucro saw no use for the gold-greedy clan; they viewed the Shinras as pathetic rulers who only accepted gold rather than the greatest source of power.  
The Cruor Mucro felt that allowing the Shinra family to remain in their ranks would only slow down the rest of the dark kingdoms in their goals. The Cruor Mucro demanded and desired power, the Shinra were only satisfied with riches and notoriety. Because of this pettiness, they needed to be exposed of. They were no longer of use to the other dark kingdoms, and their swords were not bloody enough to fit in with the faction they supported.

Cloud sat on the bed in the room and slouched. He wanted to avenge his friends and his beloved, he wanted to avenge Gongaga. But how was he to do so when he was unsure on how to begin? With a frustrated sigh, Cloud fell back against the mattress and stared at the worn ceiling.

Tomorrow he might find a way being a sort of rebellion. It should be enough to agitate Midgar's soldiers and its leader. No doubt that they were remaining here in Nibelheim as a way to declare to the world that they had taken over the domain of the Strife clan.  
The thought angered Cloud but he held his rage back for now. He would unleash it once he came face to face with Sephiroth himself. He would destroy Midgar once and for all.

He could not sit still; he needed to move about or he was sure he would lose his nerve.

Cloud walked downstairs; hopefully there would be something he could do outside. Perhaps gathering information while he took a stroll would be the best course of action he could manage at the moment. With that in mind he left the inn in search of a tavern; he needed a drink while he listened in on the patrons' idle and drunken chatter.

He lifted his cloak's hood over his head as he walked down the dirty roads that had once been lovely and clean with the people being healthy and happy. But now everything was the exact opposite.

It did not take long to find a tavern and he immediately stepped inside, making sure to keep the hood over his face. He sat himself down at an empty table and took in his surroundings. The tavern was dim and dirty and the tables looked as if they had been repaired multiple times instead of being replaced properly. The smells were repulsive and the servings that could be seen on the other patrons' plates looked pitiful and under or overcooked.

Just what exactly did the surviving people of Nibelheim had to eat? Nothing but rotten slob and cold soup? No doubt that Midger had all the quality and quantity with Nibelheim under its rule. Cloud clenched his fist. His mind wandered to Gongaga, wondering what had happened to the simple town; had it been occupied like Nibelheim was at the moment? He prayed not, otherwise he could feel compelled to fight in Gongaga as well.

The patrons all seemed rather edgy and kept glancing at one another once in a while as if expecting a fight anytime soon. Cloud hoped to avoid such a moment. For now he did his best to remain in the background, hoping not to cause any attention to fall onto him.

He could hear talk about monsters that would fetch a good bounty, but there was also talk about those who rebelled against Lord Sephiroth.

Cloud was intrigued; it seemed that perhaps he was not the only one who wanted to make sure Midgar kept to itself from now on. However, he could not be sure this little rebellion was a faction with morals either. Nobody could be trusted too easily nowadays.

Soon, his ears heard one word that caught his attention. _Avalanche_. Strange, since it was not snowing at the moment. But it most certainly sounds like a secret password, or something of the like. Cloud listened in carefully, hearing word about a crew that hid themselves somewhere within Nibelheim, waiting for a chance to strike at Sephiroth.  
Cloud listened until he heard rumors of the crew's whereabouts. Once the area's name was engraved into his mind, he stood up and left.

He took to the streets once again, keeping his hood up over his face. He needed to see for himself, these rebels who just might share his cause.

All he could see were dim streets where lovely houses used to be. Now everything was in shambles and he was unable to prevent it. Of course he was merely a child back then, but that did not stop him from feeling the crushing guilt he always had whenever he would see how terribly dark, and ruined his home had become. His mother and father had built a nation, but now the enemy has turned into dust within just a single night; this had to end, even if he had no intentions on staying.

As long as Midgar was finished, all would be well since Nibelheim could not serve as their base by the time he finishes all here.

Cloud approached the old and now ruined water tower. He remembered his mother taking both he and Tifa to this place. She explained a bit about the tower and both Cloud and Tifa had been surprisingly intrigued at the small fact they learned. Since then Cloud had been fond of the water tower. It was the spot where he and his mother first left the castle grounds together, with Tifa coming along of course.

He waited for a sign or sound for anything that could help him find out what all the fuss was about. Still, there was not a stir. He waited longer and then sudden he felt pain and his vision darkened.

* * *

"I say we rid ourselves of 'im before he causes more problems for us!"

"We cannot be sure! We need to show him to the leader first! The leader will make the decision!"

"There is no time to ask! We should throw this scum out now!"

The voices rang out loud and clear inside Cloud's ear. It made his head ache and ears ring. Who in the world was booming in his ear? He hated how loud the voices were but he could not make himself stand up and shut the noise up.  
Cloud groaned and twitched a bit. He could hear the voices around him argue again. They began shouting and cursing, unable to come to some sort of decision. It was beginning to irritate the blonde man beyond belief. Who in their right mind would have such a loud voice?

Finally, Cloud summoned enough strength to sit up, only to be shoved up against a wall. He growled in pain at the ache at the back of his head.

"Get up you mongrel!" Someone yelled and yanked Cloud to his feet. The lost prince groaned and grits his teeth, trying to ignore the pain in his head. Must they hit him so hard that he can barely walk? Again they ordered him to stand up when Cloud nearly feel over again. They tugged his arm roughly until he had enough energy to stand upright. He knees still felt wobbly but he managed to regain some composure.

"The leader will see to yer sorry behind!" An older man said with a distrusting snarl. Cloud had no inkling of what had happened. But he knew that he was no longer at the water tower.

The larger man snorted and smacked Cloud's back. "Straighten your back! The leader will be seeing what we should do with you." Cloud growled at how annoying rough they were being on him but he kept his opinions to himself, for now. Soon there were others with them. They stared at Cloud distrustfully as they all piled in and surrounded him.

"Another one?"

"I say we gut 'em now before he calls Nibelheim scum to our place!"

"We should wait for the leader to make the decision!"

"Ah… Leader won't mind if we cut his legs off, I'm sure!"

"Such a pity, he has a lovely face."

"Nah you always say that!"

Cloud could barely understand what they meant but his thoughts were interrupted when a man cloaked in red walking, causing the rowdy band to silence themselves.  
"Aye Vincent! Where is the leader? We got ourselves another prince imposter!" The older blonde man spat. Cloud's eyes widened. _Imposter_? How could they think he was some fraud? Who would dare try to impersonate him?

Vincent eyed Cloud. "He is rather convincing. But we must see what the leader thinks. We wait for a moment."

The group groaned at the fact that they had to wait some more. Still, they did not dare object when it came to the one who led them. Cloud could only guess what kind of person was in power here; but he was certain now that this was most likely the crew that had been spoken of in whispers; the ones who defied the rule of Nibelheim and its lord.

"I still says we throw this scum off the nearest cliff! He'll do us no good!"

"He may be a spy!"

As the men grew restless again, an authoritative voice called out, "Enough!" The crew instantly shut their trap and stepped back as their leader stepped into view. Cloud tried to get a good look but the dim lighting was making it hard for him to see the figure properly.  
"What is this?" The leader demanded, glaring at the crew. The men shrank back and hurriedly explained themselves and the situation and it was a wonder how the leader even understood them. The lost prince was unsure if he was hearing things or if the leader's voice sounded truly…unexpected.

"We found 'im at the water tower. I'm assuming he's heard of us and trying to draw us out." Cid explained, pushing Cloud to the side. Barret sighed at how easily agitated Cid could get but he remained quiet as Vincent as examined the young man they had brought him.  
The man in red huffed and turned to the leader. "He looks convincing but we can't be too sure." The leader stepped forward, staring at the prisoner suspiciously. Cloud could feel eyes glaring down at him unsurely.

Eyes narrowing, the leader lifted a hand and immediately, the large dark-skinned man allowed more light into the room. Cloud flinched at the sudden light but was able to adjust. His eyes blinked several times and he was able to see the leader at last.  
Before him, standing tall and proud, a woman with long dark hair and fair skin and the most lovely wine-colored eyes. Cloud's heart stopped and he forced himself to stand straight again from his slouched position. He knew it might have been impossible or just his mind going insane, but he could not find any reason that this could be some illusion in his head.

"Tifa…?"

The woman's eyes widened when she took a good look at the prisoner Barret and Cid had brought into their lair. There was no mistake; that golden hair and its signature spikes, the eyes of blue that sometimes looked green under some lights.  
She could not believe her eyes, she knew it was too good to be true but here he was—right before her eyes. Alive and whole. And he was a man now, a man who was looking right at her in the same manner that she was looking at him.

"It can't be… Cloud?"

The moment she said his name, Cloud walked towards her and she moved over to him as well but she was faster and crashed into him. Cloud barely kept them both upright as his long-lost friend barreled into his chest. He stared down at her in wonder, pleasantly surprised at how much his friend had come; he had been worried about her almost every night. But now that she was really here, he could feel his heart grow lighter.

The crew gaped at them and Cid stepped forward. "You know this…scum?"

Tifa pulled away from Cloud and glared at Cid. "This 'scum' is Cloud Strife, the true heir of the throne. He is the true Cloud Strife, not an imposter and not a spy!" All around them the band exchanged murmurs and chattered loudly.  
Vincent moved closer to them and leaned close to Tifa. "You are certain this is the true Cloud Strife?" He questioned. Tifa looked sure of herself. "Of course; I knew him when we were young. I would be able to tell who is real or not."

Cloud felt surprised. "You have…grown." He commented. His words were slightly awkward but what else was there to say?

The leader of the rebellion smirked. "You have grown much as well, Cloud Strife. Come, we much to speak about." Tifa said as she led him off. The crew looked irritated but Vincent, Barret, and Cid kept them in line until they dispersed. The men exchanged looks with each other but Vincent of all people knew that Tifa led them for a reason. She had never failed before and she would not start now or ever. He only hoped that she knew what she was doing at the moment.

_-XIII-_

"You know I…sometimes wondered if you were still alive or not," Tifa admitted, pacing her room. Cloud sat at her desk, watching her. He then lowered his gaze at her words. "I apologize, Tifa… In fact, I constantly worry if you were also alive or dead. It has been…so long."

"Yes, it has been…" Tifa agreed, finally facing the prince. "Tell me, what happened to you? I was afraid I would never see you again after you were pulled away." She admitted.  
Cloud nodded in understanding. "I will tell you; if you have the time that is." He said and Tifa smirked. "I _do_ have plenty of time. Start talking, Prince," She teased.

For a long time Cloud spoke and Tifa listened to him. The stories the prince told both intrigued and surprised the rebellion leader. She only spoke when she needed to ask a question but otherwise kept silent and let Cloud tell his tale.  
When he finally finished speaking, Tifa was nearly speechless. "I am…sorry for your loss, Cloud. I truly am." The prince shook his head and smiled lightly; the first real smile he had in a long time. "It was Midgar who took them away; you don't need to apologize to me."

"Do you still miss her?" Tifa asked, feeling her heart go out to her dear friend. Cloud lowered his head and nodded. "Every night. I also see Zack and Aerith there…I wish I could have done more, been stronger for them."

"Soon everything will be well again," Tifa reassured, "We are all fighting for Nibelheim. Now that you're here I am sure the people will rise up."  
Cloud felt unsure but Tifa placed a hand on his shoulder gently. He looked up at her and suddenly he remembered the question that had hovered in his mind for a minute or so now.

"Tell me Tifa, how is it you came to…lead this rebellion?"

"I merely gathered the ones who oppose Sephiroth that is all."

"Tell me."

The dark-haired woman sighed and shook her head, a fond smile on her face. "Oh fine. After Master Zangan and I escaped Nibelheim, he brought me with him to his village. It is a small community and keeps to themselves. Ever since that day I traveled with him, trained harder… Once I had grown enough I returned here; I swore to end Midgar for what they did. Many of us had the same promise we made to ourselves."

Cloud watched as she paced again. The little girl he had come to befriend during boyhood was now a woman with grace and independence it seems. Tifa was different now, he could see.

She was now taller and leaner rather than a scruffy girl. Her arms showed signs of much training she had endured and Cloud was certain the rest of her body would show it as well.  
That last thought made the prince blush; he mentally berated himself for such inappropriate thoughts. He shook the thoughts from his head and focused on his friend. He felt immense pride, knowing that this woman had once been the young girl who stopped to see if he had been hurt from a simple fall.

"You have come so far Cloud. I can see it," Tifa complimented. She too noticed how much the boy who tripped in front of her had now become a hardened man who still held in a gentle heart and nature despite the face he now had, which one of gloom. "Now tell me; why have you been searching for us?" She asked at last, her tone now that of Avalanche's leader.

Cloud looked at her. "Every night I see my mother and father, Zack, Aerith… _Her_."

Tifa understood in that. "Plenty of us have that same reason. So far, we had let Midgar understand that we are dangerous to them, but along with that is a reward for our capture and even deaths. There are those who are so desperate they would hunt us down just for a few pieces of gold."  
"Has life been that terrible?" Cloud murmured to himself, unable to take in all he had seen and had been told.

The female rebel lowered her gaze. "I am afraid so. But we do what we can."

After a moment of silence, with Cloud taking in everything from the day's events, Tifa eventually spoke again, "You have grown slightly taller, I noticed. When we were younger we were about the same height." The prince flushed and cleared his throat. "Yes, I…I hope so."

For a long while they spoke, catching up on the times they missed.

Barret soon entered Tifa's chambers. He cleared his throat, "Excuse the reunion, but the men are waiting for your orders."  
Tifa nodded in understanding and turned to Cloud. "I'm sure you're feeling tired from traveling so far, Cloud. You can use my room while I tend to these restless dogs." Barret gave her a look like a scolding father would give his daughter. Tifa chuckled and waved him off as she left the room.

The large man turned to the prince and scoffed. "I don't care if you are the prince or not; If anything happens to Tifa because of you, I will not hesitate to gut you with my sword!"

Cloud sighed and leaned back against the chair he was sitting on. "I appreciate the warning." Barret scoffed again and slammed the door behind him, leaving the prince by himself.  
Again, Cloud was left to his thoughts. To think he would have to return here when he had always told himself he would not. But at this rate he wished to rid Sephiroth once and for all; if Midgar stayed in power, who knows what other villages they would destroy.

Tifa would be of assistance, he knew that much already. But would she truly be willing to take a life? He knew she was a gentle girl when they were young but stronger or not, he could not think of her taking a life. Then again she _is_ the leader of this rebellion; she might have killed several times just to survive the tyranny.

But in the end, would she dare face the king of Midgar? He was not hoping she would, it would only endanger her and enough lives had been lost because of his inability to be if help to anyone he knew.

* * *

Tifa crossed her arms, staring down at the men disapprovingly.

The rebels were groaning and sighing in defeat. Tifa had been against rushing in like madmen and taking out the soldiers while the prince claims the throne. It may had sounded and seemed simple but Tifa knew better. Sephiroth led Midgar; the soldiers were as bad as their false king and bloodshed was just what they were waiting for.

Of course half of the men did argue against this plan and the rebellion began fighting amongst themselves, forcing Tifa to rush in and bring them to their senses.

The rebels had good intentions but they were growing desperate and losing their heads and the ability to focus properly. Tifa always felt weary as she continued leading them but she needed to be the one to make sure everyone is safe, that all goes well no matter how tiring or difficult the path was.  
She was also concerned about Cloud; they had spoken about so much and she knew what hurt him the most was when his new friends who were also like a family were destroyed by the same ones who brought the late king and queen to their knees.

Tifa had been mildly surprised when Cloud mentioned a beloved. In a way she was glad he found someone to share his pain. But to lose her in the end; also Tifa felt slightly…apprehensive when he mentioned her but the rebellion leader only brushed it off as her natural reaction to news that a life was taken by Midgar again.

"Well now Tifa, you got the men's attention. Now what is _your_ plan?" Cid asked, his mouth forming a small impatient frown. "How long have we been working together Cid, and you still don't trust my judgment." Tifa said in reply. "It ain't about trust; it's about finally getting rid of the False King! You said so yourself—that boy is the prince!" The older man said.

Tifa gave him a stern expression. "Go right in and risk losing him again? If we charge into the False King's territory and announce Cloud's presence, Midgar _will_ come after him and finish off the last of the Strife royal bloodline."

"You speak of the boy like you know him so well," Barret commented, crossing his arms over his chest. The female rebel hung her head. "I do. As I said; I knew him when we were merely children. Yes I know, it is hard to believe that royalty would mingle with one of common rank like myself. But no, I had been welcomed with open arms by them," Tifa said to the older men, ignoring the dismayed sighs and grunts from her other comrades. Cid huffed, "Bah! As far as I am concerned, he probably doesn't want to be king anymore! He's lived his life out there I'm sure he likes it that way."

Tifa glared at him. "You are speaking of your future king, Cid Highwind!"

Barret shrugged, "Yea, she has a point Cid. Tifa has never failed us before; I think she knows what she's doing here." Cid rolled his eyes. "King eh? Then where's his drive to do something? The first thing he does when coming back here is look for us, _rebels_. Does he expect us to fight for _him_? Be at his Highness' beck and call?"

"He has been through as much as we had, Cid." Tifa defended, banging her fist against the table in front of her. A warning.

Cid groaned, "I will follow you Tifa. But I won't be ordered about by some _boy_ who probably no longer knows how to defend his kingdom." "Why are you so intent saying things against Cloud?" Tifa asked, glaring at her comrade. "Why? Because I have seen the look in the boy's eyes. He has no spark, no passion! I would not be surprised if he abandoned Nibelheim after we win against Midgar, _if_ we win against Midgar."

Tifa hated to admit it, but she did see the lack of shine in Cloud's eyes when they spoke; it was as if he had lost all hope for the future, but she would not allow him to just fall in shame that easily. They both came this far and there was no going back.

Perhaps Cloud may refuse to claim the throne once Midgar leaves Nibelheim, but even then there was no telling what was on his mind.

In the past it might have been easy to tell what he was thinking, but now as a man who had lost so much as a child and then as a young man, it was natural that he would feel so helpless. Tifa shook her head, not wanting to think of the possibility of her childhood friend turning his back on the throne. Perhaps it was a selfish thought, but many had suffered enough, even the prince himself.

"For now, continue patrolling tonight. We need to make sure there had been no stirrings since Cloud's arrival. Check for any changes in the Midgar soldiers' routines, check with everything. We leave no stone unturned. We're close now," Tifa announced. The rebels finally perked up at this and chanted in agreement.

All the while, Prince Cloud could hear them from the corner he hid in. He had felt his heart jump at hearing Tifa's loyalty to him after all this time. He felt guilt stab at him when he heard Cid express his opinions yet Tifa stepped in to defend his honor.  
Cloud truly did wish toleave Nibelheim once more after Sephiroth had been dealt with, but after hearing Tifa express so much trust in him, he was not sure if he would have the courage to fail her again.

He felt torn; he wanted to run but if he did he would be leaving a friend behind. But instead of thinking of it, for now he returned to Tifa's quarters. He still felt weary and needed to rest.

* * *

**Okay so there is the new chapter at last!**

**I did not forget any of these stories. In fact they were always on my mind. As I write this ending author's note, my stitches had already been removed and the wound had healed. It will take a while before I can do anything strenuous but I can now focus more on writing as best as I could Skyrim has me distracted ever since I bought the game.**

**Also I want to let you all know that the next chapter will go back to the present with Lightning and her companions. If you are wondering about the title, an iron maiden is, as you all know an iron cabinet with spikes and is a torture device. But the reason for the chapter's title is Tifa being a strong woman now compared to when she was just a young girl who was angry at losing everything. She is now strong and can hold her own in a battle. Hence "Iron Maiden".**

**Cloud and Tifa's memories will be completed but I decided to go back to the present time as well. After all you guys had waited long enough and you deserve something.**

**Thanks to all of you who have continued reading and supporting this story! I always appreciate it no matter what even while I was in the hospital for three days with no laptop by my side.**

**Until then…**


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